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SOME INTERESTING 
BOSTON EVENTS 




PRINTED FOR THE 

STATE STREET TRUST COMPANY 
BOSTON, MASS. 



h 73 

.37 

.38 



Copyright, 1916, 

BY THE 

State Street Trust Company 



/ 



Compiled, arranged and printed by direction of 

Walton Advertising & Printing Co. 

Boston, Mass. 

©C!,A418987 



FEB 24 1916 



FOREWORD 

It has been the aim of the State Street Trust Company to select 
for this the tenth pamphlet in its series, historical events associated 
with Massachusetts, particularly Boston, and at the same time to 
choose events of a varied nature in order to interest as many readers 
as possible. Certain of the better known subjects have been purposely 
omitted, as it was thought that a selection of somewhat less known, 
though perhaps equally important, events would prove of greater 
interest. 

For assistance in preparing the present pamphlet the Trust Com- 
pany desires to give credit first of all to the officers of this Company; 
then to the late Governor, Curtis Guild, for valuable suggestions as 
to the subject-matter; also to Mr. Samuel Morison for other sugges- 
tions; to Mr. Otto Fleischner, of the Boston Public Library, for valu- 
able assistance in the selection of reference books; to Mr. C. K. Bolton, 
of the Boston Athenaeum, and Mr. Charles F. Read, of the Bostonian 
Society; to Mr. P. K. Foley and Mr. C. E. Goodspeed for assistance 
covering certain pictures and references. 

For assistance on specific subjects the Company wishes to thank 
Mr. Louis A. Cook for help in connection with the account of the first 
settlement in Boston Harbour; Prof. A. Lawrence Lowell, of Harvard 
College, Mr. William C. Lane, of the Harvard College Library, and 
Mr. Roger Pierce, for information furnished in regard to "Fair 
Harvard"; Dr. J. Collins Warren and Mr. C. K. Bolton for their 
assistance in obtaining certain facts in connection with the Old North 
Church; Mr. Charles H. Taylor, Jr., Miss Clara Parker, of the 
Nantucket Athenaeum, Miss Anne W\ Bodfish, Secretary of the 
Nantucket Historical Society, Mr. George H. Tripp, Librarian of 
the New Bedford Library, and Mr. William Rotch for information con- 
cerning Mr. Rotch's Counting House in Nantucket; Mr. C. H. W. 
Foster, Mr. W. S. Crane, and Mr. William Sumner Appleton for 
suggestions in regard to the Province House; Mr. F. H. Curtiss, 
of the Boston Federal Reserve Bank, for books and information 
furnished in regard to the United States Branch Banks; Mr. Eric 
Pape and Dr. Robert T. Moffatt for information and photographs 
furnished concerning the frigate Constitution. Mr. J. Paulding 
Meade, of Boston, Mr. Charles W. Noyes, of New York, and Mr. 
Ricker, of Islesboro, Maine, for assistance concerning the Penobscot 



FOREWORD 

Expedition; Mr. Henry M. Faxon, of Quincy, Mr. Harold J. Coolidge, 
and Mr. J. S. Lawrence for their help in connection with the history 
of the Granite Railway Company; Dr. J. Collins Warren and Dr. 
Washburn, of the Massachusetts General Hospital, for suggestions and 
assistance concerning the first ether operation; Mr. Thomas A. 
Watson, Mr. Philip L. Spalding, President of the New England 
Telephone and Telegraph Company, and Mr. George W. Dennison, 
Vice-President of the American Telephone and Telegraph Com- 
pany, for valuable help given in the preparation of the account of 
the first telephone message, and Mr. S. H. Levangia, Manager of the 
New Palace Theatre, for his kindness in allowing photographs to be 
taken; Mr. J. T. Wheelwright for information concerning the Boston 
Common; Hon. Louis A. Frothingham, Mr. Thomas E. Pedrick, 
Sergeant at Arms at the State House, and his secretary. Miss Ellen 
M. Burrill, for information and help in connection with the Return of 
the Flags, also Mr. Edward Simmons for permission to use a photo- 
graph of this painting; Duffield & Co. for permission to reproduce 
illustrations; and Mr. Edwin F. Rice, of the Boston Public Library, 
for help in connection with the story of Dickens' Walking Match. 



The State Street Trust Company in pre- 
senting to you this, the tenth of its series of 
pamphlets i wishes to express its thanks for 
the appreciation which has been shown of the 
former issues, and trusts that this number, 
entitled ^^Some Interesting Boston Events,''^ 
will be found equally enjoyable. 

This Company would like to call atten- 
tion to the fact that during the coming summer 
it will have completed the twenty-fifth year 
of its existence, and with its abundant re- 
sources, the experience of its officers and staff, 
a number of whom have been with the Com- 
pany for many years, and its policy of 
remaining independent of outside control, 
it should be entitled to the careful consider- 
ation of those persons desiring to establish 
relations of a banking or fiduciary nature. 

Both offices are equipped with the most 
modern Safe Deposit Vaults, and the Branch 
Office also maintains a thoroughly modern 
Storage Vault for the safe-keeping of silver 
and other valuables, 

MAIN OFFICE BACK BAY BRANCH 

J5 State Street ijo Massachusetts Avenue 

{Corner Boyiston Street) 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 



PAGE 

The First Permanent Settlement in Boston Harbour 7 

Rev. William Blackstone, the First Settler of Boston, riding on his 

Brindled Bull 8 

Some of the Early Punishments 10 

The Beacon 14 

Mrs. Sherman's Pig 16 

Some Early Rules of Harvard College 17 

Governor Winthrop treats with LaTour and the Subsequent Arrival of 

D'Aulnay 20 

Some Interesting Events on Boston Common 21 

The First Newspaper in America 26 

Captain Kidd arrested and jailed in Boston 27 

Benjamin Franklin delivers Newspapers in Boston 29 

Some Interesting Events in Connection with Christ Church, or "Old 

North Church" 31 

Woodbridge-Phillips Duel on the Common 33 

Massachusetts issues Lottery Tickets to help rebuild Faneuil Hall ... 34 

Liberty Tree 36 

Signing of the Charter Papers of the Boston Tea Party Vessels in the 

Rotch Whaling Office, Nantucket 37 

General Warren climbs through the Window of the Old South Church 

to deliver his Famous "Massacre" Speech 39 

The Last Ball in the Province House, with Some Interesting Information 

in Regard to the House 41 

"Frog" Dinner given to the Officers of the French Fleet 44 

The Penobscot Expedition — Paul Revere a Lieutenant 45 

Dr. John Jeffries of Boston — the First American to fly over the English 

Channel 47 

The First United States Bank in Boston 49 

Launching of the "Constitution" 51 

Lafayette lays the Corner-stone of Bunker Hill Monument 54 

The Granite Railway Company — the First Railroad in America ... 56 

Mayor Theodore Lyman protects William Lloyd Garrison from the Mob, 59 

The First Ether Operation 61 

The "Jamestown" Expedition to Ireland 65 

Colonel Robert G. Shaw leads his Negro Regiment to the War .... 67 

Return of the Flags to the State House 68 

Dickens' International Walking Match 72 

First Telephone Message in Boston 74 




AN ENGLISH CARICATURE ENTITLED "BOSTONIANS IN DISTRESS," 
NOVEMBER 19, 1774. 



The Yankees are shown as prisoners in a cage on Liberty Tree and are being fed with 

codfish. The print is dated 1774. It may be seen on the walls of the 

State Street Trust Company. 



Some Interesting Boston Events 



THE FIRST PERMANENT SETTLEMENT IN BOSTON 

HARBOUR 

TO Sir Ferdinando Gorges and his son Robert belongs the credit 
for the estabhshment in 16*23 of the first enduring settlement in 
Boston Harbour, at \Yessagusset, now Weymouth, at a point on 
Philiijjs Creek, above the present Fore River Bridge. The Norsemen 
ventured near our coast over six hundred years before; the Cabots 
from Spain, backed by the English, had explored our New England 
ports; Captain John Smith had actually entered Boston Harbour 
and made a map, and Myles Standish visited the Indian camps 
along the Mystic River. Even as late as 1622 an expedition sent out 
by Thomas Weston had established a trading post at Wessagusset, 
which was abandoned in a short time. 

Ferdinando Gorges, who was a great friend of Sir Walter Raleigh 
and enjoyed the confidence of King James to such a degree that that 
monarch appointed him Governor of Plymouth, England, had 
for years dreamed of a colony in the new world. His ambition was 
to establish a principality of a permanent character. For sixteen 
years he struggled and pleaded his cause before King and courtiers 
and made fruitless attempts at starting settlements on the Maine 
Coast. He had been given the title "Lord of Maine." When, in 
1623, his son Robert returned from the Venetian wars he felt that 
the opportunity for favorable action had arrived, and accordingly 
the first meeting of the "Council of New England" — which had been 
granted a patent by the Crown in 1620 and was composed of forty 
persons — was held at Greenwich, England, on June 29. Among 
those attending the meeting were the Duke of Buckingham, the Duke 
of Richmond and a number of other notable peers. The territory 
covered by the patent lay on the northeast side of Boston Bay with 
a sea front of ten straight miles, including all the islands within a 
league of the shore, and extending thirty miles into the interior. 

As a result of this meeting an expedition set out in the midsummer 
of 1623 under the leadership of Robert Gorges as Governor General. 
It was made up of mechanics, farmers and traders, as well as gentle- 
men and divines. A landing was made in September at Wessagusset, 
where use was made of the block house and other buildings erected 
by Weston the year before. 

Robert Gorges, who was not a strong character, but a man of a 
somewhat vainglorious disposition, involved himself in quarrels wnth 
his neighbors, especially his predecessor, W^eston, whom he proposed 
to punish for various trading misdemeanors. He even caused 
Weston's arrest and detention as a prisoner until the spring of the 
following year. The winter was a terrible surprise in its rigor. As 
Adams says: "They had come to enjoy the pleasures of the wilder- 

[ 7 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

ness. Locked in a desert of ice and snow, — inhabiting a log hut 
on the edge of a salt marsh, with a howling, unexplored forest behind 
and around them, — well might they, with the mercury at zero, ask 
themselves 'Where was that moderate temper of the air, where those 
silent streams of a calm sea' which Smith had pictured? Young men 
accustomed to the soft winter climate of Devon were exposed to the 
blasts of Greenland. Where, too, was the 'fouling and fishing?' The 
waters were covered with ice and the woods were impassable with 
snow. So Robert Gorges got through the long winter as best he 
could, heartily wishing himself back again in the Venetian service, 
or even the dreary tedium of Plymouth." 

In the early spring word came from Sir Ferdinando Gorges that 
there were no further funds available for the colony, and inasmuch, 
to quote Bradford, as Gorges had not found "the state of things 
hear to answer his qualitie and condition" he was only too ready to 
give up his share in the expedition and return to England, after, 
as Bradford again says, "having scarcely saluted the cuntrie in his 
governmente." The settlement, however, was never abandoned. 

An amusing story, about the authenticity of which there may be 
some question, is told in connection with the early days of this colony. 
The settlers had stolen a good deal of corn from the Indians, and one 
of them was at last caught. The Indians demanded that he should 
be executed, but were willing to allow the whites to act as his execu- 
tioner. Strong men were not very plentiful in the settlement, so, 
after thinking matters over, the colonists concluded that it would be 
a pity to kill one of the best men they had when they could take an 
old and impotent member of the colony. They therefore decided 
to take off the clothes of the man who committed the robbery and 
put them on another, "to let this sick person be hung in the other's 
steade." By persuasion they got the innocent man "bound fast in 
jest and then hung him up hard by in good earnest." An old poem 
commemorates this incident in the following words : — 

"Resolved to spare him; yet to do 
The Indian Hogun Moghan too 
Impartial justice, in his stead did 
Hang an old Weaver that was bed-rid." 

REV. WILLIAM BLACKSTONE, THE FIRST SETTLER OF 
BOSTON, RIDING ON HIS BRINDLED BULL 

"Old Shawmut's pioneer 
The Parson on his brindled Bull." 

Oliver Wendell Holmes. 

It is rather difficult to imagine the Rev. Mr. Blackstone galloping 
by moonlight along the sands of a cove, which is now part of Charles 
Street, on his mouse-colored bull; nevertheless such is the picture 
which Motley gives of him in his "Merry Mount." 

The first settler of Boston, William Blaxton (now spelled Blackstone), 
often alluded to as the Hermit of Shawmut, is supposed to have 
brought this bull from England and to have trained him to the saddle. 
During his rides he was wont to distribute "Blackstone" apples or 

[ 8 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

"sweetings" to both children and grown-ups. His orchard, situated 
on a part of the Common near what is now Louis])urg Scpiare, was 
the first one to cultiv^ate tliis fruit in New Enghmd. 

Bhickstone, a man of mucli culture and many eccentricities, had 
come over either with Robert Gorges in lO'-iS or with Captain \\'ollas- 
ton in 16'25, and about the latter year he took u|) his lonely abode on 
Shawmut peninsula. He lived in a hut near an excellent spring on 
that part of Beacon Hill which overlooked the Charles River, a point 
later known as Blackstone Point, and now corresponding to the corner 
of Beacon and Spruce Streets. He is described as being "a solitary, 
bookish recluse, about thirty-five years of age, somewhat above middle 




Blackstone's house, near Beacon and Walnut Streets, at the foot of Beacon Hill 

height, slender in form, wnth a pale, thoughtful face, wearing a con- 
fused, dark-colored, 'canonical coate,' with broad rimmed hat strung 
with shells like an ancient palmer, and slouched back from his pensive 
brow, around which his prematurely gray hair fell in heavy curls 
far down his neck. He had a wallet at his side, a hammer in his 
girdle, a long staff in his hand." 

Blackstone came to New England for peace and quiet and stead- 
fastly refused to embroil himself in the religious controversies of the 
time, so much so that Cotton Mather in his "Magnalia" wrote of 
him, "he would never join himself to any of our churches, giving as 
his reason, 'I came from England because I did not like the Lord 
Bishops; I can't join with you because I would not be under the 
Lord Brethren.'" On the whole, however, he dwelt in amity with 
these intolerant religionists. 

[ 9 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

He was not long to remain undisturbed, for in 1630 when Governor 
Winthrop and his followers moved from Charlestown — really follow- 
ing a generous invitation from Blackstone himself — we find the 
hermit saying, "I looked to have dwelt with my orchards, and my 
books, and my young fawn, and my bull, in undisturbed solitude. 
Was there not room enough for all of ye? Could ye not leave the 
hermit in his corner?" 

In 1634 Blackstone sold forty-four of his fifty acres to Governor 
Winthrop for £30, the money being raised by a tax levied on the 
inhabitants. He retained his house and remaining six acres for 
himself. This six acre lot was later owned by Copley, the painter. 
The forty-four acres purchased by Governor Winthrop were laid out 
for a training field, which is now our Common. 

In 1635 the place became too crowded for the parson, so he moved 
to a farm at Rehoboth, in Rhode Island. It is generally admitted 
to-day that he, and not Roger Williams, was the first white inhabitant 
of Rhode Island. In his new home he cultivated his seven hundred 
acre estate, and rode about on his bull, preaching the gospel occasion- 
ally. He was married by Governor Endicott in Boston in 1635 to 
Mistress Sarah, widow of John Stevenson, with whom he lived many 
years in happiness. Finally, on May 26, 1675, he died at the ripe 
age of eighty. Roger Williams, his neighbor, records his death as 
follows: "About a fortnight since your old acquaintance, Mr. Black- 
stone, departed this life in the fourscore year of his life; four days 
before his death he had a great pain in his breast and back, and bowels, 
afterward he said he was well, had no paines and should live, but he 
grew fainter and yielded his breath without a groan." 

His library comprised one hundred and sixty volumes, and ten 
manuscripts which were valued in the inventory of his estate at six 
pence each, or five shillings for the lot. Within one month of his 
death King Philip's War broke out, and up in smoke went his library, 
with these ten precious paper volumes which undoubtedly contained 
the written records of the beginnings of Boston. 

Among the reminders of Blackstone to-day, inasmuch as they bear 
his name, are the river, the valley, a town in Massachusetts and a 
busy street in Boston. 

He was certainly a singular character and was fittingly described 
by his namesake. Sir William Blackstone, the English lawyer, who 
said, — 

"As by some tyrant's stern command, 
A wretch forsakes his native land. 
In foreign climes condemned to roam, 
An endless exile from his home." 

SOME OF THE EARLY PUNISHMENTS 

It was customary in the early days of the Colony to punish people 
by degrading them in public by exposure in stocks, bilboes, the pillory, 
the brank or the ducking stool, rather than by imprisonment or fines, 
and the usual places for such punishment were in the market squares 
or in front of the meeting-houses. 

The bilboes, which were often used in Boston to "punyssche trans- 

[ 10 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 




THE BILBOES. 



gressours ageynste ye Kinges Maiesties lawes," consisted of a long, 
heavy iron bar with two sliding shackles, like handcuffs, for the 
legs. This bar was fastened to the top of a post, and the offender had 
to lie on his back on the ground with his 
feet in the air. The instrument derived 
its name from Bilboa where it was be- 
lieved many were made and shipped on the 
Spanish Armada to shackle the English 
prisoners wdien captured! 

The earliest record we have in Boston 
of the bilboes was in IGS^ when the entry 
says that "James Woodward shall be sett 
in the bilbowes for being drunk at the 
Newetowne," now Cambridge. The fol- 
lowing year Thomas Dexter was likewise 
punished for "prophane saying dam ye 
come." Thomas Morton of Merry Mount 
was also sentenced to be "clapt into the 
bilbowes." In 1639 Edward Palmer, a 
Boston carpenter, made a pair of stocks, 
and, as most people know, he was the 
first person to be placed in them, "for his 
extortion in taking £l, 13/ Id. for the 
plank and woodwork." He was " censured 
to bee sett an houre in the stocks." On many occasions did they per- 
form service in the colony, being chiefly used to take care of drunkards 
who couldn't handle their legs properly. Each town was obliged to 
have its stocks, and in 1639 Dedham was fined for not having a pair. 

The most interesting and ignoble of all the instruments of punish- 
ment w^as the ducking stool, which was used especially as a cure for 
scolding women, "chyderers" and wife beaters; also it was used to 
punish brew'ers of bad beer and bakers of poor bread; it was also 
supposed to stop all quarrelling between married couples, after they 
had been ducked several times while tied back to back. The culprit 
was plunged in as often as the sentence directed, and it has been re- 
lated how quickly a bath, especially in cold water, would change a 
person's point of view. A few lines from a poem entitled "The 
Ducking Stool" are amusing: — 

"If noisy dames should once begin 
To drive the house with horrid din. 
Away, you cry, you'll grace the stool; 
We'll teach you how your tongue to rule. 
Down in the deep the stool descends. 
But here, at first, we miss our ends; 
She mounts again and rages more 
Than ever vixen did before. 
If so, my friend, pray let her take 
A second turn into the lake, 
And, rather than your patience lose. 
Thrice and again repeat the dose, 
No brawling wives, no furious wenches. 
No fire so hot but water quenches." 

[ 11 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 




Massachusetts had no "ducking stool" until fifty years or so after 
the first settlement, when we find that Governor Bellingham had a 
law passed that "persons convicted of rayling or scolding shalbe 

gagged or sett in a ducking stoole and dipt 
over head and cares three times in some 
convenient place of fresh or salt water." 
John Dunton, who wrote about Boston in 
1686, said that "Scolds they gag and set 
them at their own doors . . . for all comers 
and goers to gaze at, . . . to cure the noise 
that is in many Women's heads." 

The pillory, or "stretch-neck" as it is 
often called, was much used in Massachu- 
setts until 1803, and it was a very common 
occurrence to see the helpless culprits ex- 
posed to the jeers of the passers-by, who 
often added to their insults by throwing 
rotten eggs and even garbage. 

The whipping post "for fools' backs" 
was the punishment inflicted for lying, 
swearing, perjury, drunkenness, selling rum 
to the Indians, "for repeated sleeping on 
the Lord's Day," and slander. A sentence 
was usually forty stripes, and often the 
Court decreed that the offender should be 
whipped in two cities, usually some dis- 
tance apart, so that at the second whipping the culprit's back would 
have stiffened and would therefore hurt the more. The most con- 
spicuous whipping post was on State Street, then King Street; there 
was also one on Queen Street, as well as on the Common. 

A customary form of punishment in the Colony was to tie round 
the offender's neck a placard upon which was marked the initial de- 
scriptive of the crime, such as "B" for uttering blasphemous words, 
"V" for viciousness, "R" for rogue, "D" for drunkenness, etc. 
The culprit was also often exhibited to public view in a cage, in the 
stocks, in the pillory, or on the gallows. 

The brank, or gossip's bridle, was used in a mild form in Massachu- 
setts, being called a cleft stick, and there are numerous cases men- 
tioned of persons having been subjected to this punishment for "swear- 
inge or railinge." Public penance was another form of punishment, 
the guilty person, wrapped in white, being obliged to sit on a stool 
"in the middle alley" of the meeting-house to make public acknowl- 
edgment of some small crime against the strict laws of the day. 
Burglary and some other crimes were punished in all the colonies by 
branding. 

The wooden horse was a punishment reserved especially for soldiers, 
and on one occasion we find Paul Revere as presiding officer ordering 
a Continental soldier to "ride the Wooden Horse for a quarter of an 
hower with a musket on each foot." In Governor Winthrop's day 
delinquent soldiers were sentenced to carry pieces of turf to the Fort, 
while others were chained to a wheelbarrow and made to work. A de- 

[ 12 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

serter at the time of the battle of Bunker Hill was tied on a horse with 
his face towards the horse's tail and led around the camp. During 
the Civil War another soldier was condemned to get inside a barrel, 
which was then tied to his neck so that he could walk around without 
its touching the ground. 

The laws in regard to Quakers are too numerous to enumerate. 
One of the laws passed in Massachusetts in 1657 was as follows: "A 
Quaker, if male, for the first offense shall have one of his eares cutt 
off; for the second offense have his other eare cutt off; a woman 
shalbe severely whipt; for the third offense, they, he or she, shall 
have their tongues bored through with a hot iron." There were also 
some other very curious punishments. Often an offender was ordered 
to sit on the gallows or to walk around the town with a rope around 
his neck. In Boston a man was once fined and imprisoned for en- 
deavoring to spread the smallpox. In 1652 another was fined for 
excess of apparel "in bootes, rebonds, gould and silver lace." In 
Salem, in Governor Endicott's time, a Puritan was penalized for 
wearing too long hair, — long hair being considered at this time 
"bushes of vanity." Kissing in the street was an offence punishable 
by a fine or whipping, and it is related that a husband who had just 
returned from a long voyage happened to meet his wife in the street 
and kissed her. He was discovered, and when fined was so angry 
that he swore he would never kiss her again. There was a Bostonian 
who purchased a horse from a countryman and gave in exchange a 
note payable on the "Day of the Resurrection." The amount of 
the fine is not mentioned. One of the Plymouth Laws of 1638 forbade 
a man from proposing marriage before obtaining consent of one of 
the parents. The penalty for counterfeiting bills was very severe, 
and the Continental bills all bore this inscription: "To counterfeit 
this bill is Death." Another curious punishment of the very early 
days was to call a man by his first name instead of "Mr." In 1643 
a Salem man called Scott was whipped "for repeated sleeping in 
meeting on the Lord's Day, and for striking the person who waked 
him." In 1786 four convicts were ordered to the Castle to make nails. 
A notice in one of the Boston papers gave a list of the heads of families 
who would have to spend Christmas in jail on account of debt, giving 
after each the amount owed. A postscript at the bottom asks, "Who 
among the opulent is willing to restore a father to his family and 
Christmas Fire Side.^" Sometimes debtors were allowed the "Limits 
of the jail," or in other words, they couldn't go more than a specified 
distance away. At one time it was believed there was a Tread-Mill 
at the Massachusetts State Prison at Charlestown. There was a law 
in 1639 that no ladies' garments "shall be made with short sleeves 
whereby the nakedness of the arm may be discovered in the wearing 
thereby." Another curious record, a few years later, shows us that 
Robert Saltonstall was fined 5s. for presenting his petition "on so 
small and bad a piece of paper." 



[ 13 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

THE BEACON 

The Beacon was erected under an order of the General Court in 
1635 on one of Boston's three hills, which was called by the early 
settlers "Tramount," as it was composed of a group of three small 
hills. The elevation, or mountain as it was called, was used as a 
lookout, and the name was changed to Centry or Sentry Hill, and 
when the Beacon was set up it was known by its present name of 
Beacon Hill. Its object was "to give notice to the country of any 
danger, and that there shalbe a ward of one person kept there 
from the first of April to the last of September, and that upon the 
disco v'ry of any danger the beacon shalbe fired, an allarum given, 
as also messengers presently sent by that towne where the danger 
is discov'ed, to all other townes within their jurisdiccon." 

The Beacon was intended to give warning of attacks by foreign 
countries by sea, or by Indians on land. There was, however, little 
trouble with the aborigines in Boston, and one writer states that it 
is more than likely that the settlers annoyed the Indians as much as 
the Indians did the settlers. The Indians freciuently complained 
that their crops were injured by cows belonging to the English. The 
Beacon, however, was made use of on several occasions. In 1689, 
at the time of the uprising against Governor Andros, a flag was hauled 
up on the pole as a signal to the soldiers at Charlestown that the 
controversy was soon to be ended, the Governor having agreed to 
surrender. Some years later, in 1768, an English officer arrived 
from Halifax, and the people quite naturally thought that his visit 
signified the arrival of more troops. They, therefore, placed a tar 
barrel in the pot on the Beacon to be lit when the King's ships arrived. 
Governor Barnard believed this to be an insult to his military capacity, 
and his Council ordered the Selectmen to remove the barrel, but they 
refused to act. The Governor, therefore, ordered Sheriff Greenleaf 
to take it down, which he succeeded in doing stealthily during dinner 
time. The battles of Lexington and Concord, the burning of Charles- 
town, and the battle of Bunker Hill were watched by the friends 
of both sides, who were huddled together on the six rods of land at the 
summit of the hill. 

The hill upon which the Beacon was erected was sixty feet higher 
than it is now and was situated inside of the present State House 
grounds and almost directly in line with Park Street (then called 
Centry Street), which was laid out in 1640. Temple Street ran over 
the summit from the westerly side. The Beacon was reached by 
wooden steps and, on nearing the top, by steps dug in the ground. 
The boys of the South End and North End of the town used to battle 
for the supremacy of the hill-top, and another favorite pastime for 
the younger generation was to bat a ball up and down the hill, which 
was more difficult than it looked, owing to the steepness of the hill. 
Cows were pastured part of the way up the incline. 

The Beacon was a tall pole, with cross sticks to be used in its ascent, 
and projecting from one side near the top it had an iron crane 
supporting an iron pot, for the reception of tar or some other combus- 
tible. It was replaced in 1768 "without the consent" of Governor 

[ 14 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

Barnard, taken down by General Howe in 1775 and another pole 
set up the following year nearly in the centre of the British fort which 
had been built on the top of the hill. This beacon was blown down 
by a storm in 1789, and in the following year a monument was erected 
by a number of the inhabitants from the design of Charles Bulfinch, 
then a Selectman of the town, "to commemorate the train of events 
which led to the xVmerican Revolution and finally secured Liberty 
and Independence to the United States." It was a plain Doric 
column about sixty feet high, surmounted by a large eagle, the effigy 
of which is now over the President's chair in the Senate Chamber. 
This was the first public monument erected to commemorate the 




The Monument on Beacon Hill, from Bowdoin Place, showing the Thurston house as it ap- 
peared in 1811. At one time the hill was so steep in front of this house that it was necessary 
to hoist up all the wood and provisions. From an old print in the collection of the State Street 
Trust Company. 

events of our Revolution. Several things contributed to its fate. 
To begin with, Thomas Hodson, in 1764, dug out so much of the 
hill belonging to him that there was danger that the structure would 
tumble down; then, in 1795, the building of the new State House 
by Governor Hancock necessitated encroachment on another part 
of it. A few years later the Mill-Pond Corporation obtained from 
the town the right to use still more gravel, and, in 1811, the town 
sold the land on which the monument stood to John Hancock and 
Samuel Spear. The hill was then completely removed and used as 
filling, and the column was destroyed, much to the disgust of most 
of the inhabitants, who wished to keep this old relic intact. The 
four slate tablets containing the inscriptions of the events connected 
with our Revolutionary War, from the Stamp Act, in 1765, to the 
inaugural of Washington as President, in 1789, were preserved in 

[ 15 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

the State House. When the Bunker Hill Monument Association 
in 1899 presented to the Commonwealth an exact duplicate of the 
original column, these tablets were built into the monument, which 
stands on the same spot where stood its predecessor, opposite the 
end of Ashburton Place, only about sixty feet lower. The Committee 
of the Association originally consisted of William W. Wheildon, 
Robert C. Winthrop, F. W. Lincoln, Jr., Winslow Lewis and 
J. Huntington Wolcott. 

There were only a few houses on Beacon Street in the early days, 
and the following anecdote shows clearly this fact. Mrs. Dr. John Joy 
was an invalid, and upon consultation with a physician he suggested 
that she move out of town "to Beacon Street," and she was frequently 
asked how she happened to go so far away. 

There is a piece of poetry which speaks of the Beacon and which 
is quite interesting in view of the fact that not long after the words 
appeared the monument was erected to immortalize the victory of 
the Yankees. The lines are: — 

"As for their King, John Hancock 
And Adams, if they're taken, 
Their heads for signs shall hang up high 
Upon that hill call'd Beacon." 

Robert Turner, a shoemaker, was the first owner of Beacon Hill, and 
later on it came into the possession of the Hancocks, who sold to the 
town the land upon which the State House now stands. 

MRS. SHERMAN'S PIG 

Although of seemingly small importance Mrs. Sherman's lost sow 
has come down in history, owing to the fact that the many lawsuits 
to which she gave rise finally resulted in changing part of the con- 
stitution of the Colony. Governor Winthrop records in his journal: 
"There fell out a great business upon a very small occasion. Around 
1636 there was a stray sow in Boston, which was brought to Captain 
Keayne; he had it cried divers times and divers came to see it but 
none made claim to it for near a year. He kept it in his yard with 
a sow of his own." Finally Keayne, who, it will be remembered, left 
in his will a fund to assist the town in building the Old State House, 
killed his own pig. Soon afterwards Mrs. Sherman called, declared 
that the live pig was not hers, and accused Keayne of having killed 
her animal. The case was brought before the Elders, and Keayne 
was acquitted. Mrs. Sherman then carried the case to court, her 
friend, George Story, a merchant of London, acting as her attorney. 
The Captain was again cleared, and the jury awarded him $3 for 
costs, and he in turn sued his two accusers, recovering $20 from each 
one. This trivial matter now assumed the aspect of a political ques- 
tion between the aristocratic and democratic classes and occupied a 
prominent place in court for a year. Story again brought suit, but 
there was a disagreement among the magistrates and deputies, espe- 
cially as regards the " Negative Vote." Magistrate Richard Saltonstall 
took part in the trial and sided with the people. The final result was 

[ 16 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

that in 1644 the "Assistants" or Magistrates of the Company and 
the Deputies, now called respectively Senators and Rej)rescn(atives, 
were divided into two co-ordinate branches, and each body could veto 
the proceedings of the other. A public speaker not long ago remarked 
that "Mrs. Sherman's pig was the origin of the present Senate" and 
that " he hoped the members of it would not disgrace their progenitor." 
Robert Iveayne, besides being the chief donor of the State House, 
was also Captain of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company. 
He lived on the south corner of Washington and State Streets. 

SOME EARLY RULES OF HARVARD COLLEGE 

Some of Harvard's old regulations would not please very much the 
undergraduate or the graduate of to-day. President Dunster's rules, 
which were printed in Latin, were formulated in 1642 and continued 
in force until about 1734. No student was admitted until he was 
able to read, write and speak Latin perfectly, and he must also have 
an excellent knowledge of Greek, and during his college course he was 
never allowed to use his mother tongue except in certain public exer- 
cises of oratory. As Harvard was primarily a Ministers' college, 
every one had to read the Scriptures twice a day and was obliged to 
attend Chapel also twice a day, at six o'clock in the morning during 
the summer months, and half an hour before sunrise in the winter, 
and again in the evening. No scholar could buy, sell or exchange 
anything over six pence in value without permission of his parents, 
guardians, or tutors, and he received severe admonition if he were 
absent from prayers or lectures even once during the week. Another 
curious rule was that "every scholar shall be called by his surname 
only, till he be invested with his first degree, except he be a fellow 
commoner or knight's eldest son, or of superior nobility." Li order 
to receive his first degree a student had to be able to translate the 
Old and New Testaments into Latin, and all his acts must have re- 
ceived the approbation of the overseers. Tobacco was not allowed 
except by permission of the President, with consent of the parent or 
guardian, "and then in a sober and private manner." It was also 
voted that every student must be in his room by nine o'clock under 
penalty of a fine, and no one could go to Boston except by special 
permission without being subject to a five dollar penalty. 

In 1656 the President and Fellows were empowered "to punish all 
misdemeanours — either by fine, or whipping in the hall openly, as 
the nature of the offense shall require, not exceeding ten shillings, or 
ten stripes for one offense." The flogging often took place in public, 
but this practice was abolished in 1734. Here are some of the early 
fines. Absence from prayers, 'id.; absence from public worship, 9d., 
and tardiness 3d. ; neglecting to repeat the sermon, 9d. ; leaving town 
without permission, not over 2s. 6d.; going out of college without 
proper costume, 6d.; frequenting taverns, not over Is. 6d.; playing 
cards or any game for money was a finable offence, as was opening 
doors by picklocks. Fines were also levied for keeping guns, or for 
using them. This system of penalties proved so annoying to the 
parents that it was abolished in 1761, and methods of enforcing dis- 

[ 17 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 



cipline were employed which resemble the present day "probation," 
"suspension," or "expulsion." 

There were some "Ancient Customs" that were lived up to even 
more strictly than the regular laws, and some of them are most inter- 
esting and amusing. No Freshman was allowed to wear his hat in 

the college yard, unless it 
rained, snowed, or hailed, 
or unless he had both 
hands full. All Freshmen 
were obliged to go on any 
errand for any of the upper 
classmen at any time ex- 
cept during study hours, 
and after nine o'clock in 
the evening. No student 
was allowed to call up or 
down, or to or from, any 
of the college rooms. 
Another hard rule on the 
Freshmen was that they 
had to furnish bats, balls 
and footballs for the use 
of students, to be kept at 
the "buttery." 

Towards the end of the 
eighteenth century candi- 
dates for admission were 
examined by the Presi- 
dent and two of the tutors. 
All undergraduates had to 
keep in their rooms and 
follow their studies, except 
for half an hour after 
breakfast, between twelve 
and two o'clock, and after 
evening prayers until nine 
o'clock. The students also 
had to submit to one public 
oral examination annually, 
in the presence of a com- 
mittee of the Corporation 
and Overseers, in order " to 
animate the students in the pursuit of literary merit and fame, and to 
excite in their breasts a noble spirit of emulation." Those tests must 
have been even more nerve racking than the present three hour written 
examinations. No one was allowed to go beyond the yard without 
his coat, cloak or gown, and hat, nor could he go into any tavern in 
Cambridge without leave of the President or one of the tutors, unless 
he were accompanied by his father or guardian. No undergraduate 
could go gunning, fishing or skating over deep water without permis- 
sion, nor could he attend any stage plays either as actor or spectator. 

[ 18 ] 




'■iH^ 



.^... --^^^P^, 



Reproduction of a photograph of the Rev. Samuel Gil- 
nian from a picture in " Fair Harvard " room. A memorial 
in the form of a tower room has been erected in the Unita- 
rian church of Charleston in his memory. 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

A costume was prescribed for all undergraduates which consisted of 
a "coat of blue gray, with waistcoat and breeches of the same colour, 
or of a black, a nankeen, or an olive colour." The coats of the Fresh- 
men had to have plain buttonholes, and the cuffs could not have any 
buttons on them. The Sophomores were allowed the privilege of 
having buttons on their cuffs. The coats of the Juniors had "cheap 
frogs to the button holes, except the button holes of the cuffs," and 
the Seniors could have "frogs" on all their buttonholes. The buttons 




ROOM IN WHICH "FAIR HARVARD" WAS WRITTEN IN 1836. 

This room is in the old Fay House, now occupied by Radcliffe College, Cambridge. Rev. 
Samuel Oilman, the author of the poem, was born in Gloucester, and when he came from his 
parish in Charleston, South Carolina, to visit his brother-in-law. Judge Fay, who then lived in 
this house, to attend the 200th anniversary of the founding of Harvard College, he wrote "Fair 
Harvard" to commemorate the event. 

This room is in the northwest corner of the second story. In this house at one time lived 
Edward Everett. While it was owned by Judge Fay, Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Story 
the sculptor, James Russell Lowell, and other famous men were guests of his here. 



of all the classes had to be nearly the same colour as the coats. No 
garment made of silk was permitted, nor gold or silver lace, cord or 
edging upon hats or clothes. Another rule provided that "the tables 
shall be covered with clean cloths twice a week, or oftener, if judged 
necessary by the President and Tutors." 

Commencement took place on the third Wednesday in July, and 
Cambridge in the early days was never so deserted during the summer 
as it is now. In the early eighteen hundreds Commencement Day was 
a State holiday, all the banks and offices in Boston being closed. 

The dining-room, which used to be in University Hall, was the 
largest in New England, accommodating two hundred persons. It 

[ 19] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

gained great celebrity on account of its ability to take care of so many 
students. The food that wasn't eaten or that couldn't be eaten was 
shared by a number of pigs, whose sties were near the rear of the 
building. The charge for board at "Commons" was $1.75 a week, 
and it couldn't be expected that meat could be served at every meal. 
The students, therefore, frequently saved some of their meat and 
with a fork jammed it against the under side of the table to help 
out at breakfast the following morning. Board at private houses or 
at some of the professors' residences was three dollars, and if a stu- 
dent received a high mark or an honor from the tutor with whom he was 
boarding his other jealous classmates attributed it to undue influence. 
In the early days the tuition charges were frequently paid in live 
stock, grain, or groceries. 

GOVERNOR WINTHROP TREATS WITH LaTOUR AND THE 
SUBSEQUENT ARRIVAL OF D'AULNAY 

John Winthrop had just been chosen Governor for the fourth time 
when Charles LaTour, one of the leaders of the French Colony of 
Acadia, visited Boston with the object of securing the help of the 
Massachusetts Colony in fighting his rival, D'Aulnay, who had his 
headquarters at Port Royal, New Brunswick, near LaTour's Fort, 
which was situated in the centre of the present city of St. John. 

The Frenchman's arrival in Boston, in June, 1643, astonished the 
inhabitants as he sailed past the fort and dropped anchor before the 
townspeople realized what was happening. The soldiers had just 
been ordered to leave the fort a short time before, and LaTour could 
easily have captured the two ships-of-war in the harbour and then 
made trouble for the Bostonians. • This fort, which was on Castle 
Island, was at once strengthened and manned. On his way in he 
chanced to meet a Mrs. Gibbons in a rowboat, and one of the sailors 
with LaTour recognized her and followed her to Governors Island, 
the home of the Winthrops. The Governor was there at the time, 
and he escorted LaTour to Boston, where he was given a splendid re- 
ception. The Frenchman showed his papers from the King of France 
and further won the Governor's confidence by attending church with 
him on Sunday. The visitors were granted shore leave provided 
they landed in small companies "that our women might not be 
affrighted by them," and they then paraded on the Common with 
the State militia. One amusing incident happened while the 
Frenchmen were on land; one of them saw a drunkard in the 
stocks and immediately went up to him and let him out, only to find 
himself in the stocks' in short order. LaTour suggested that Governor 
Winthrop should grant him authority to hire four vessels to act as his 
escort back to his fort. The Governor granted this request, although 
many people in the Colony opposed his decision. The ships put to 
sea on July 14. Although it was agreed that LaTour should not 
compel his little fleet to fight, nevertheless his sudden and warlike 
appearance frightened D'Aulnay into retreat. LaTour found thirty 
volunteers, and they attacked his rival, capturing one of his ships. 
LaTour's wife persuaded him to make a second visit to Boston and 

[ 20 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

implore aid, and in his absence the garrison was attacked by D'Aulnay, 
and all the survivors, who made a gallant defence, were taken prisoners, 
Madame LaTour among them. Three weeks later she died. 

D'Aulnay then sent three messengers to Massachusetts to demand 
reparation for having rendered assistance to his enemy and asked 
an indemnity of £8,000. The magistrates of the Colony insisted that 
they only permitted LaTour to hire the ships. During their visit 
the messengers were shown such attention and were treated with 
so much ceremony that this large demand was finally reduced by 
agreement to "a small present in satisfaction." Some one remarked 
at the time that "the Government had to look as if it could pay it if it 
had to." A treaty was signed, and Governor Winthrop presented the 
Frenchmen with a sedan chair, which had just been given to him, 
and which the Governor declared was of no value to him! A salute 
of five guns from Boston, three from Charlestown and five from 
Castle Island sent them home quite contented and forgetful of the 
£8,000 demand. Several years later D'Aulnay was drowned while 
canoeing near Port Royal, leaving his wife to fight his old rival Charles 
LaTour. The latter through treachery soon captured her fort and 
compelled her to marry him in order to protect herself and her eight 
children. LaTour died much in debt and owing large sums of money 
to his friends in this Colony. 

This controversy is also interesting as it showed very clearly that 
Massachusetts even at this early date took the attitude of an abso- 
lutely independent government in dealing with foreign powers. 

SOME INTERESTING EVENTS ON BOSTON COMMON 

The Common is owned by the people of Boston. On the day of 
General Sheridan's funeral, in 1888, the Mayor of Boston granted a 
permit to a battery of the State Militia to fire a salute on the Common. 
A gentleman was driving his buggy along Charles Street, and his horse 
became frightened by the noise and ran away, throwing out the driver 
and seriously injuring him. He then brought suit against the City, 
alleging it to be the owner of the Common, but Judge Holmes decided 
that the City couldn't be held liable for the reason that it had only a 
"technical" title and merely held the Common for the public benefit. 

The people have made many uses of their property. Dr. Hale 
relates that the Common was used in the beginning of the nineteenth 
century, as a pasture for cows, as a playground for children, as a place 
for beating carpets, and as a training ground for the militia. In 1822 
housekeepers had to give up beating their carpets, because a law was 
passed prohibiting it. The repeal of the privilege brought forth an 
amusing newspaper article entitled "The Last Shake." 

In the early days the Common was the chief place for executions, 
and many unfortunates were presumably hanged from the branches 
of the "Old Elm" for murder, witchcraft, Quakerism, and even theft; 
but in 1812 executions on the Common were abolished. Indians and 
pirates have been hanged and shot, soldiers have been killed for deser- 
tion, and, during Governor Hancock's administration, a woman called 
Rachell Whall was strung up for stealing a bonnet worth seventy-five 

[ 21 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

cents. Some years previous another woman was hanged for murder. 
The first execution for witchcraft in Boston was that of Margaret 
Jones, who was accused of possessing imps. Mary Parsons was hanged 
a few years later, and then Mrs. Ann Hibl)ins, who was supposed to 
be a sister of Governor Belhngham, shared the same fate. It is 
beheved her husband lost so much money that she became ugly and 
quarrelsome, causing her neighbors to accuse her of witchcraft. Many 
Quakers, including women, have met their death bravely under the 
"Old Elm," a graft of which is now growing near the Frog Pond. 
The last Quaker victim was a woman called Goody Glover, who was 
accused of bewitching the four children of John Goodwin. 

There were many interesting rules restricting the use of the Com- 
mon. People were not allowed to walk or ride a horse here on Sunday, 
no matter how warm the weather might be, but both were permitted 
on week days. After 1822 horseback riding and driving were not 
allowed without a permit from the Mayor and aldermen. There was 
also a law to prevent Sunday bathing at the foot of the Common, 
which brought out the following verses in the Centinel: — 

"In superstitious days, 'tis said, 
Hens laid two eggs on Monday, 
Because a hen would lose her head 
That laid an egg on Sunday, 

"Now our wise rulers and the law 
Say none shall wash on Sunday; 
So Boston folks must dirty go, 

And wash them twice on Monday," 

Skating, of course, was likewise forbidden on the Sabbath, and for 
many years smoking in the street was also prohibited at any time. 

Cows were allowed to graze on the Common as recently as within 
eighty-six years, and there is still a restriction on one of the lots of 
land on Mt. Vernon Street, which obliges the owner of the property 
on the opposite side of this street always to keep a passageway to 
a pasturage near the Common of suitable size to admit a cow. Only 
one such animal could be grazed by one person, a man being chosen 
especially to "keep the cowes which goe on the Common," for a fee 
of 25. 6d. per head. With a little imagination we can see Benjamin 
Franklin driving his father's cow home from here every night. Cows 
were often a menace to people walking or riding, and one fatal acci- 
dent happened in 1661, when General Humphrey Atherton, on his 
way home after reviewing his troops, ran into a cow with such force 
that he was thrown from his horse and killed. 

The Common has always been used as a parade ground and place 
for celebrations of all kinds, besides being the site of one of the British 
fortifications during the siege of Boston. According to Dr. Edward 
Everett Hale the circles made on the Common by the British tents 
could be traced in the grass while he was a boy, and the trenches dug 
by the English soldiers were still used with great joy by the boys of 
his time when playing soldier. It is related that the Redcoats used 
to race their horses on the Common on Sundays and that they played 
"Yankee Doodle" outside the church doors during services, both to 

[ 23 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

the disgust of the inhabitants. It is also recorded that Dorothy 
Quincy used to complain that the morning exercises of Earl Percy's 
troops interrupted her beauty sleep. While the British were in their 
encampment here, several floating batteries crept along the shore 
of the Common and fired upon the enemy, doing considerable damage; 
and it was from this same shore that the English troops embarked 
for Lexington the evening before the battle. It was also near here 
where we read that Colonel Thomas H. Perkins and others used to 
go snipe shooting. While the English occupied the Common many 
a Bostonian probably found that his cow had "gone dry" when he 
came to milk her; there is an anecdote, however, which shows that 
at least one cow got even with the Britishers. She ran into a stack 
of bayonets, one of which penetrated her body sufficiently to enable 
her to run away with it. 

The boys had their famous coast along Park Street, until one day 
General Gage's soldiers destroyed their slides, thereby causing a great 
protest to be made. The General asked them if their fathers had been 
teaching them rebellion, but at the same time he evidently admired 
their "love of liberty" and ordered that their sport should not be 
interfered with again. Some years later wooden bridges for pedes- 
trians were erected over the slides to prevent accidents. 

During the Civil W^ar the headquarters of the Recruiting Commit- 
tee were on Flagstaff Hill on the Common, and many speeches were 
made urging men to enlist. On one occasion one young fellow de- 
clared that he would enlist even if he were a "paralyzed corpse," 
which remark brought forth loud cheers and many recruits. In 
1862 a Great War Meeting and Parade were held on the Common, 
speeches being made by Governor Andrew, Edward Everett, 
Robert C. Winthrop and others. 

Many celebrations have been held here, but they are too numerous 
to receive more than a brief mention. The "Repeal of the Stamp 
Act" caused Captain Paddock's Artillery to roar out a salute, fol- 
lowed by fireworks and illuminations; Cornwallis' surrender was 
celebrated by a huge bonfire, and a few years later Peace was pro- 
claimed by cannon and fireworks; also the Bunker Hill procession, 
in which Lafayette participated, described elsewhere, had its starting 
place here. On these grounds, too, met the Great Whig Convention 
presided over by Daniel Webster, and the Grand Mass Washingtonian 
Convention of May, 1844. Another event was the Cochituate Water 
Celebration around the Frog Pond while Josiah Quincy was Mayor, 
when, as the last lines of Hon. Robert S. Rantoul's poem reads, 
"Boston claims her destined bride, the fair Cochituate, as Quincy 
turns the water, in eighteen forty-eight." The Frog Pond was also 
called "Crescent Pond" or "Quincy Lake." 

In 1851 a three days' Grand Railroad Jubilee, which included a 
parade and dinner, was held to commemorate the opening of com- 
munication between Boston and Canada, and some years later the 
Prince of Wales was entertained with a military review. When 
General Lee's army surrendered bells pealed, steam engines screeched 
through the streets, and cannon again boomed. The parade at the 
time of the Centennial Anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill was 

[ 24 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

also formed here. It was in 1877 that the Army and Navy Monu- 
ment on Flagstaff Hill was dedicated, and we must not forget the 
Fourth of July celebrations that have taken place; nor must we omit 
several Indian war dances, the last of which took place in 1837, which 
caused about 70,000 to assemble to watch the antics. The Indians 
left the city in open barouches, sitting all over the vehicles and 
wielding their war weapons. We should also record several Temper- 
ance parades, one of which in 1844 was composed of the boys and 
girls of Boston, usually referred to as the "Cold Water Army," which 
marched to the Frog Pond and gave "three cheers for Cold Water." 
Many people signed the pledge on this occasion. Here also many 
military organizations were wont to drill, including the oldest order 
in the United States, the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company. 

The Rev. George W'hitefield visited Boston in 1740, and as the 
churches couldn't accommodate the number of people who wanted 
to hear him, he decided to preach on Boston Common. Twenty 
thousand persons heard his farewell sermon, among whom was 
Benjamin Franklin, who determined he wouldn't give a cent when 
it should be time to take up the collection. The preacher was so 
convincing and so eloquent that Franklin ended by handing over 
every cent he had with him. A negro on the Common mistook 
some one for Whitefield, and, falling on the ground and rolling over, 
exclaimed, "Oh, Massa Whitefield!" He learned his mistake, and 
as he hurriedly rose to his feet, said, " Oh, den I'se gone dirtied myself 
all for nothin'." 

A unique event connected with the Common was the spinning com- 
petition in the year 1720, which was held daily in the open air before 
throngs of spectators, the women of the town, rich and poor, vying 
with each other in their speed in handling their newly imported 
machines. The fad continued for some time, and a Spinning School 
was built. It is a curious thing that the Irish-Scotch spinners who 
introduced these spinning-wheels also taught us the value of the 
potato, which had been hitherto almost unknown. 

On part of the Common a rich harvest of hay was often reaped, 
and on one occasion we read that Deacon Sullivan hired a well-known 
bell-crier to go round to the different schools and lead the children 
over to the pasturage to "enjoy the new mown hay." During the rav- 
ages of smallpox the Common was also a convenient place on which 
to air the clothes of the victims, there evidently being no Board of 
Health in Boston at that time. About sixty years ago an announce- 
ment appeared in the papers that a cave had been discovered, which 
drew a large number of people who paid a small entrance fee to see 
the new curiosity. After a short time some one in the crowd remem- 
bered that it was April 1. 

The Common has always been a recreation ground, and many 
famous football and baseball games have here been fought out. Mr. 
James D'Wolf Lovett's book, entitled "Old Boston Boys," gives a 
vivid idea of the sports on the Common fifty or so years ago. The 
Latin School team had many games with the Dixwell School, and the 
famous Lowell Baseball Club, organized by Mr. John A. Lowell, 
fought it out with the Trimountains, Bowdoins, Olympics, Rocking- 

[ 25 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

hams, Athletics, Harvards, Elm Trees and Hancocks. In these 
games the runner had to be hit by the ball to be put out, stakes were 
used as bases, and foul balls were considered as hits. Sometimes as 
many as seventy or eighty runs were scored. The older men in Boston 
to-day remember with delight the home run "hit" made by Thomas 
Nelson, which soared over Flagstaff Hill towards West Street. One 
legend describes this ball as having rolled down West Street and 
then bounced on board a horse-car, which took it out to the Norfolk 
House. In the year 1869 probably for the first time baseball influenced 
a Mayor's election. The Common was ploughed up, and the ball 
players, fearing they would be permanently deprived of its use, entered 
politics and helped to elect a Mayor and aldermen who would be 
favorably disposed to the use of the Common as a playground. The 
"Baseball" ticket, with a red baseball printed at the top, won, and 
Mayor Shurtleff was elected. Coasting was popular in these days, and 
the sleds were almost as well known among the younger generation 
as race horses and yachts; the "Comet," owned by Dr. Frank Wells, 
the "Eagle," belonging to James Lovett, "Multum in Parvo," the 
property of Francis Peabody, and the "Tuscaloosa," handled by 
Horatio G. Curtis, being a few of the "race horses" of the day. "Old 
Boston Boys" also tells of an amusing incident that happened on one 
of the Beacon Hill coasts. A colored washerwoman of large propor- 
tions with her basket on her head was caught by a sled and deposited 
astride the coaster, who continued down the hill faster than ever. 
During the whole length of the slide she cuffed the frightened boy 
over the ears for having upset her. 

The Circus used to pitch its tent on the Public Garden, and the 
great drawing card with the Boston boys was the announcement 
that at a certain hour the elephants would bathe in the Frog Pond. 
A great feat of skill was to vault the high iron picket fence when 
the policeman was not looking and thereby gain admittance without 
charge on the day of some celebration. 

Many of the older generation who went to Mr. Sullivan's school 
in the basement of Park Street Church remember with sorrow the 
old blind cigar man who stood near the corner of Park and Tremont 
Streets and sold what he called "cinnamon" cigars, warranted harm- 
less and suitable for beginners; but, as they were made of real tobacco 
and merely dipped in cinnamon, the effect was not as advertised. 

Almost every boy "ran" with his particular engine and endeavored 
to have his "tub" win in the "playouts" on the Common, his Captain 
shouting to him meanwhile to "shake it out of her," or "just 
one foot further, if you love me!", or other appropriate remarks. 
When one of the loyal firemen died his last request was to cut off his 
ears and bury them under the engine house, so that he could hear 
the old machine rattle as she rolled out. 

THE FIRST NEWSPAPER IN AMERICA 

The first newspaper printed in America, entitled Puhlick Occurrences, 
Both Forreign and Domestick, appeared in Boston on September 25, 
1690. It was a sheet of four pages, seven inches by eleven, with two 

[ 26 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

columns on a page, and was printed "By R. Pierce for Benjamin 
Harris, at the London Coffee House, 1G90." The editor announced 
that it was issued in order "that tlie people may better understand 
public affairs, that important occurrences shall not be forgotten," and 
in order "that something may be done towards the Curing, or at least 
the Charming of that Spirit of Lying, which prevails among us." 
The introductory paragraph reads, "It is designed that the countrey 
shall be furnished once a month (or if any Glut of occurrences happen 
oftener) with an Account of such considerable things as have arrived 
unto our Notice." It then went on to say that the editor would " take 
pains to get a faithful relation of things and hopes observers will 
communicate of such matters as fall under their notice." And, 
further, the publisher proposes to correct false reports, and to expose 
the "First Raiser" of them, and he also adds that he thinks "none 
will dislike this Proposal, but such as intend to be guilty of so villianous 
a Crime." Mention is made of the Indians of Plymouth; of the fact 
that two children of Chelmsford had been stolen by the Indians; of 
the three hundred and thirty deaths in Boston from smallpox; of 
a fire near the South Meeting House; and of the murder of the crew 
of a vessel near Penobscot by Indians and French. There is also an 
account of Governor Winthrop's expedition to Canada, and other 
interesting news. Only one issue of the paper appeared. The 
authorities ordered Puhlick Occurrences discontinued, as they believed 
it contained "reflections of a very high nature," and the Court, in 
1662, forbade "any thing in print without license being first obtained 
from those appointed by the government to grant the same." The 
people were not yet ready for a free press. 

Only one copy of this paper has ever been discovered, and it is now 
in the Colonial State Paper Office, in London. Dr. Samuel A. Green 
some years ago took a copy of it, which may be seen in the Massa- 
chusetts Historical Society rooms. Many of the papers issued since 
this time are not any better than was this "First Newspaper." 

The first regular newspaper was The Boston News Letter, which 
appeared in April, 1704, and which gives the history of the town for 
the next seventy years. It was issued by John Campbell, who was 
Postmaster of Boston, and printed by Bartholomew Green in a build- 
ing on Washington Street near the east corner of Avon Street. 

CAPTAIN KIDD ARRESTED AND JAILED IN BOSTON 

Lord Bellamont in London, before his departure for America to 
become Governor of the New York and the New England Colonies, 
commissioned Captain Kidd, at the suggestion of Robert Livingston, 
a New York merchant, to destroy piracy along the American coast. 
Captain Kidd was undoubtedly himself a pirate, although he had 
once been an officer in the British navy and later had commanded 
one of Livingston's merchant ships. He was a Scotchman. It is 
quite apparent that Lord Bellamont made this selection with the old 
adage in mind, "Set a rogue to catch a rogue." 

The pirate captain sailed in his Adventure Galley in December of 
the year 1697 wutli instructions to cruise only against the King's 

[ 27 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 



enemies. Instead of suppressing piracy, however, he captured the 
Qiiedah Merchant, belonging to the Great Mogul, and on his return to 
Long Island sent word to Bellamont, who was now in Boston, that 

he would be glad to come on and 
explain his actions. He arrived in 
Boston with his wife and maid ser- 
vant in June, 1699, on his sloop 
the Antonia, and put up at Camp- 
bell's, which was the most luxu- 
rious hotel in Boston at this time. 
Governor Bellamont himself having 
stayed there a short time before. 
On his arrival he was examined 
before the Council in the Old State 
House, but his explanations were 
so unsatisfactory that he was ar- 
rested on July 7 and jailed in the 
Old Prison on Court Street, where 
the new wing of the City Hall 
now stands, the same prison which 
confined the witchcraft victims. 
Captain Kidd suggested to Lord 
Bellamont that he should go back 
while still a prisoner to his capt- 
ured treasure ship and that he 
and Bellamont should divide the 
$300,000 of valuables which the 
Captain said were on board. The 
Governor's connection with Captain 
Kidd was already none too credit- 
able, and it was fortunate indeed 
for him that he turned down the 
offer. The hillsides of Southern 
Rhode Island and the waters of the 
Hudson River have been searched, 
but nothing has been discovered of 
Kidd's treasures except an old chest 
which was found on Gardiner's Island, just off the end of Long 
Island, where Captain Kidd landed in 1699. Lord Bellamont sent 
commissioners to dig up these buried treasures, and an inventory was 
made of the articles that were found, which is said to be in the pos- 
session of the Gardiner family who now own the island. 

It was now a question what to do with the pirate, as it was discovered 
that the laws of the Province were insufficient to execute criminals 
guilty of piracy. Two other brigands had escaped from this same 
prison, and Governor Bellamont more than once wished his prisoners 
were safely lodged in Newgate jail. An English frigate, the Advice, 
took Captain Kidd back to England, arriving in April, 1700. He was 
imprisoned for a long time, was tried for both murder and piracy and 
then hanged. He died hard. The rope broke the first time, but the 
second attempt proved successful. He committed the murder at sea, 

[ 28 ] 




CAPTAIN KIDD HANGING IN 
CHAINS. 

From an old print in " The Pirates Own 
Book or Authentic Narratives of the Lives, 
Exploits and Executions of the Most Cele- 
brated Sea Robbers." 

" My Lord, it is a very hard sentence," said 
Kidd, when asked wiiy sentence should not be 
passed against him. "For my part, I am the 
most innocent jDerson of them all, only I have 
been sworn against by perjured persons." He 
was executed on Execution Dock, England, 
and hung up in chains some distance down 
the river. 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

the victim being his gunner, whom he killed by striking with a water 
bucket. 

The pirates' song supposed to have been written by Benjamin 
Franklin is worth quoting. Ned Teach was another well-known rover 
of the seas. 

"Then each man to his gun 

For the work must be done. 

With cutlass, sword, or pistol; 

And when we no longer can strike a blow. 

Then fire the magazine, boys, and up we go. 

It is better to swim in the sea below 

Than to hang in the air, and to feed the crow, 

Said Jolly Ned Teach of Bristol." 




r i V K A 11 (; II I! K Y K 1) f T JE E 1! 




Keys to jail on Queen Street in which Captain Kidd was imprisoned. Now in 
the possession of the Bostonian Society. 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN DELIVERS NEWSPAPERS 
IN BOSTON 

There is something very romantic and attractive in thinking of 
Benjamin Franklin early in his teens setting the type of his brother 
James' A^ew England Courant, printing the sheets from the old press now 
in the Bostonian Society rooms, and then carrying the papers through 
the streets to the houses of his customers. He was born on January 
17, 1706, in a small house on Milk Street, where the family resided for 
a few years until they moved to the corner of Hanover and Union 
Streets. He was the most amusing member of the family. Once 
when he was w^atching his father, Josiah, prepare the winter's supply 
of salt fish, young Franklin suggested that he would save a lot of 
time if he said grace over the whole cask at once. His father was 
by trade a soap-boiler and tallow-chandler, and when his son had 
studied at the Latin School a few years he took him home at the age 
of ten to assist him in his own business. He showed so little interest 
in making soap and candles that his father decided to apprentice 
him as a printer to his elder son, James. Here Benjamin found more 
opportunity to read, the first literature that came to his notice being 
"Pilgrim's Progress" and the Spectator. It was not long before 
he wrote anonymous articles and shoved them surreptitiously under 
the door of the printing room, and to his great joy they were printed. 

[ 29 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

Had James realized that they were from the pen of his brother they 
would probably have found their way into the scrap basket, as the 
two agreed none too well in business. 

The Mathers didn't at all approve of the Courant; it spoke too freely, 
and so the Assembly imprisoned James Franklin. In the mean time 
Benjamin had full charge of the management. When the elder 
brother had served his term he was discharged but ordered not to 
print his paper unless it were first supervised by the Secretary of the 
Province. It was then determined that the New England Courant should 
be issued under Benjamin's name, and this plan was carried out for 




Bronze tablet on statue of Benjamin Franklin, Boston City Hall Courtyard. 

about three years, the imprint reading, "Boston, printed and sold by 
Benjamin Franklin, in Queen Street, where advertisements are taken 
in." The building that was used as his first shop later became a 
bookstore, and was ornamented with a head of Franklin for many 
years, until it was torn down. Over the ofiice was the Long Room 
Club, where Adams, Hancock, Otis, Warren, Church, Quincy, Dawes, 
Paul Revere and others laid their plans for resisting the British. 

The animosity between the two brothers increased, and Benjamin 
soon gave up his position and looked for another one in some of the 
other printing houses in Boston. His brother had, however, gone 
to these same ofiices and prevented his getting any employment, 
and in October, 1723, he left the city in disgust. Had he been 
able to find some occupation, Boston might have been able to claim 
him during his whole life, instead of for only his first seventeen years. 

[ 30 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

The town of Franklin, Mass., was named after him, and books to 
the value of £'i5 were given by Benjamin Franklin to be added to 
its library. 

SOME INTERESTING EVENTS IN CONNECTION WITH 
CHRIST CHURCH, OR "OLD NORTH CHURCH" 

The Old North Church on Salem Street is the oldest church in 
Boston standing on its original ground, and was the second Episcopal 
Church erected in the town. For many years its tall spire served as 
a landmark for vessels entering the harbour. As a boy Governor 
Phips dreamed that he would some day become rich and live on 
Salem Street, which was then called Green Lane, and later his dream 
came true. The North End was practically an island at one time 
and was reached by a bridge where Hanover and Blackstone Streets 
now meet. In the early days religious services were held in the Old 
State House. 

Christ Church is chiefly noted for its connection with the Revolu- 
tion and Paul Revere, yet there is much more history which, though 
less well known, is nevertheless most interesting and instructive. 
The corner-stone was laid in 1723 by the Rev. Samuel Myles, then 
rector of King's Chapel, who pronounced the following words: "May 
the gates of Hell never prevail against it." It was opened for divine 
service on December 29 of the same year by the first rector, the 
Rev. Timothy Cutler, who had a most unusual career. He was 
Doctor of Divinity of both Oxford and Cambridge universities, also 
was a graduate of Harvard in 1701 and then became President of 
Yale College in 1719. His home was on Salem Street. Dr. Cutler 
in a letter at this time stated that there were thirty-two "Negro and 
Indian slaves" in his parish. In the early days a fine was imposed 
upon any member who "does not appear within two hours after the 
time appointed for a meeting." 

A most interesting Bible was presented to the Church by King 
George II. in 1733. It is called the "Vinegar Bible," on account 
of a curious error which appears on one of the pages, the word 
"Vinegar" being printed in place of the word "Vineyard," in the 
chapter of St. Luke which refers to "The Parable of the Vineyard." 
Some of the Prayer Books have paper pasted over "King and Royal 
Family," and the words "President of the United States" written 
over it. The Church also owns a Communion Service, several pieces 
of which were given by King George II., and may be seen at the 
Museum of Fine Arts. At one time part of this Communion set 
was pledged to the creditors of the Church. 

A chime of eight bells, each bearing a different inscription, was 
placed in the steeple in 1744, having been made in a famous foundry 
in England. On bell "3" is written, "We are the first ring of bells 
cast for the British Empire in North America." For some years 
there was a guild of bell ringers composed of Paul Revere, John Dyer, 
Josiah Flagg, E. Ballard, Jonathan Law, Jonathan Brown, Jr., and 
Joseph Snelling. 

Captain Gruchy, a member of the Church and commander of the 

[31 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

Privateer Queen of Hungary, presented to the church the four small 
statues in front of the organ, which were captured from a French 
vessel during the French and Indian war in 1746. They were doubt- 
less intended for a Catholic cathedral on the St. Lawrence River, 
but instead found their way to a Protestant church in Boston. 

It is said that General Gage watched the burning of Charlestown 
and the Battle of Bunker Hill from Christ Church steeple. In this 
battle Major Pitcairn was killed by a bullet fired by a negro soldier 
from Salem, and his remains were buried in the tomb beneath the 
church. About this time Lieutenant Shea, who died of fever, was 
also buried here. Some years later Major Pitcairn's friends in Eng- 
land sent for his body, and it is believed that through some curious 
mistake the remains of Lieutenant Shea were shipped in its place,, 
so that the tablet in Westminster Abbey possibly marks the last 
resting place of Shea, who had a very commonplace end, instead of 
marking the remains of the hero whose bravery its inscription com- 
memorates. Samuel Nicholson, First Commander of the Constihdiony 
was also buried here. 

Rev. Mather Byles was pastor from 1768 to 1775. His father, who 
was pastor of King's Chapel, was the celebrated wit of the town and 
was always cracking jokes. There are some good stories of his in 
"Deahngs with the Dead." In 1777 he was arrested as a Tory, 
placed under guard and ordered sent to England in forty days. He 
was discovered one morning pacing before his door with a musket on 
his shoulder, and one of his neighbors asked the cause. "You see," 
said the Doctor, "I begged the sentinel to let me go for some milk 
for my family, but he would not suffer me to stir. I reasoned the 
matter with him; and he has gone himself, to get it for me, on condi- 
tion that I keep guard in his absence." He frequently referred to his 
keeper as his "Observe-a-tory." He was also intimate with General 
Knox, who after the evacuation marched through Boston at the head 
of his artillery. Byles yelled out to him, "I never saw an ox fatter 
in my life." General Knox, who was quite stout, did not at all ap- 
preciate the remark. 

In front of Dr. Byles' house there was a mire, and he often tried to 
get the selectmen to fill it in. One morning two of the board happened 
to drive too near the bog, and their carriage sank in. Dr. Byles 
walked by them as they were trying to extricate themselves and 
politely remarked, "I am delighted, gentlemen, to see you stirring 
in this matter, at last." Another time a man with a toothache met 
the Doctor and asked him where he could have it drawn. The 
Doctor gave him a name and street number. On going to the address 
the occupant of the house answered him, "This is a poor joke for 
Dr. Byles, I am not a dentist, but a portrait painter — it will give 
you little comfort, my friend, to have me draw your tooth." Dr. 
Byles had sent him to Copley. Another time, when the Rev. Mr. 
Prince for some reason did not keep an engagement to preach. Dr. 
Byles rose and preached from the text, "Put not your trust in princes." 

It is recorded that once some one got the better of the Doctor. He 
was devoted at one time to a lady who finally married a Quincy. He 
met her one day and asked her how she happened to choose Quincy 

[ 32 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

instead of Byles. She replied, "If there had been anything worse 
than biles Job would have been afflicted by them." 

Rev. William Montague, who was Rector from 1786 to 1792, and 
who lived in Dedham, Mass., was the person to whom a man called 
Savage gave the ball which killed Warren, although the identity of 
the bullet has sometimes been questioned. Dr. J. Collins Warren 
believes that the bullet was buried with the body. In the Old South 
Church there is a photograph of the skull of General Warren, which 
shows a large bullet wound in the head. He was supposed to have 
been shot while climbing over a stone wall. 

In 1815 a bust of George Washington was presented to the church, 
and is believed to be the first memorial erected to him in a public 
place. Lafayette said it was the best likeness of Washington that 
he had ever seen. 

It has never been definitely determined who hung the lanterns in 
the belfry on that memorable 18th of April, the highest authorities 
being at variance between Robert Newman, the Sexton, and Captain 
John Pulling, Jr., a close friend of Paul Revere. It is certain that 
both had much to do with displaying the warning. Newman was 
discovered in bed and arrested, but nothing could be proved against 
him. Captain Pulling certainly acted as if he were guilty, for, dis- 
guised as a laborer, he made his way by sea to Cohasset, where he and 
his wife remained in hiding for some time. His wife was a Hingham 
woman named Sarah Thaxter. Each year the lanterns are hung 
in the belfry by one of the descendants of Paul Revere. On the next 
to the last anniversary the little boy who was carrying them fell 
and broke one, but it was soon repaired. 

To the Rt. Rev. William Lawrence, the present Rector, is chiefly 
due the preservation of the building, which was reopened on Sunday, 
December 29, 1912. 

WOODBRIDGE-PHILLIPS DUEL ON THE COMMON 

The duel between Benjamin Woodbridge and Henry Phillips was 
the first in Boston which resulted in the death of one of the partici- 
pants. Both of these men were merchants of the town and highly 
respected citizens, and the aft'air cjuite naturally caused much excite- 
ment. The origin of their quarrel, which started on the evening of 
July 3, 1728, at the Royal Exchange Tavern on King Street, has always 
been a mystery, though it must have been of a serious nature. They 
repaired at once to the Common, which had already witnessed several 
duels in times gone by, and settled their controversy near the old 
Powder House Hill and not far from the water where Charles Street 
now lies. Phillips ran his sword completely through the body of 
Woodbridge, who was not discovered until early the following morn- 
ing. There were no seconds. The survivor became much alarmed 
when he realized that he had probably killed his adversary, and as 
he walked across the Common he met Robert Handy of the White 
Horse Tavern and begged him to go back and get a surgeon for the 
wounded man. Handy, however, concluded that it would be safer 
for him to return to his Inn. Governor Dummer immediately issued 

[ 33 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

a proclamation commanding all persons in the Province to endeavor 
to capture Phillips and bring him to justice, and hand-bills were 
placed upon all the town pumps and chief corners of the town, ac- 
cording to the custom of the day. Phillips, however, eluded his 
pursuers, with the aid of his brother Gillam and Peter Faneuil, whose 
sister married this same Gillam. He was concealed for a short time 
in the house of Colonel Estis Hatch and was then rowed from Gibbs 
Wharf in Fort Hill, in Captain John Winslow's boat, to the British 
man-of-w^ar Sheerness which was lying near Castle Island. OflScers 
endeavored to find this ship, and others from the cupola of the old 
Town House scanned the harbour in vain. The Sheerness had 
already departed for Rochelle, France, with her unhappy exile, who 
died the following year in distress over the deed he had committed. 
His mother went over to comfort him, but arrived after his death. 
Governor Burnett succeeded Governor Dummer about a month 
after the duel, and, with eighty-seven other prominent citizens, 
signed a petition for Phillips, certifying as to his honorable character 
and asking for his pardon for what was then a charge of murder. 

Woodbridge's body was taken to the house of his partner, Jonathan 
Sewall, and his funeral was attended by the Commander-in-Chief, 
several of the Council, and many of the townspeople. He was buried 
in the Granary Burying Ground. A sermon with this duel as the 
text was delivered a few days later by Dr. Joseph Sewell, of the Old 
South Church. Phillips was only twenty-two years of age, and his 
victim was only a few years older. 

A law was passed soon after to prevent duelling, which provided 
that, even if no injuries were inflicted, any person convicted of en- 
gaging in a duel should "be carried publicly in a cart to the gallows, 
with a rope about his neck, and set on the gallows an hour, then to 
be imprisoned twelve months without bail." Any one who was killed 
should be denied Christian burial and must be buried " near the usual 
place of execution with a stake drove through the body." The sur- 
vivor was considered a murderer and must be executed and buried 
in a similar manner. 

MASSACHUSETTS ISSUES LOTTERY TICKETS TO HELP 
REBUILD FANEUIL HALL 

This cut, which is taken from an original lottery ticket to be seen 
in the banking rooms of the State Street Trust Company, shows one 
of the six thousand tickets sold under the auspices of the Massachu- 
setts legislature in 1762 to help rebuild Faneuil Hall, which was de- 
stroyed by fire the year before. A special committee, consisting of 
Thomas Cushing, Samuel Hewes, John Scollay, Benjamin Austin, 
Samuel Sewall, S. P. Savage and Ezekiel Lewis, was appointed to act 
as Managers of the lottery, and subscribers could get their numbers 
from the Board or from the firm of Green & Russell in Queen Street. 
The tickets were sold for $2 apiece, which brought in $12,000, but 
as there were 1,486 prizes amounting to $10,800 there was only a 
net profit of $1,200 to pay to the contractor. There was one prize of 
$1,000 and one of $500, all the others being of smaller amounts, 

[ 34 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

ranging down to $4'. The oontnictor made many complaints about 
the slowness of payment, and a committee was chosen to decide the 
dispute. Although Governor Hancock signed tiie original of which 
this cut is a copy, he tlid not sign all of the issue, and later on he 
exerted his influence against this scheme of raising money, which 
encouraged gambling and at the same time produced such meagre 
results. Faneuil Hall was occupied for a town meeting again in 
March, 1764. 

Lotteries were regarded almost in the light of investments and 
were authorized by the State authorities. It was thought as respect- 
able to sell tickets as to sell Bibles, and the two have been seen classed 
together in the same advertisement. Without doubt lotteries were 



.■^L' 



U' 



6*S 



;-.:^ 



I^ OS TiJN, ^prlL 1767. 
l:h FaneLul-^U?.\\ LOTTERY, Numbtr EIGHT, r 



/|i5 Tdis Ticket [No./^/?<P ] entitles || 

/Cb^ the Pofl'-rri)!- to any Prize drawn a^aina^l^Mc] NuiT^bcr, ^ 
a LOl'TERY granted by an Ac\ of ihc General 



■Hi^«-^''^^ Court of theProvincc of the Maffachiifeits- Bay, f orRe- :^H 



hi\\\d\>^Q^FJNEUIL■YiA\', fubjca to no Dcduaiqn; -^ 






Picture of original lottery ticket to rebuild Faneuil Hall. In the collection of the State Street 

Trust Company. 

a means of raising money (which could not otherwise at that time be 
procured) for churches, colleges, roads, bridges, ferries, wharves, etc. 
Advertisements were common, and often the figure of Fortune blind- 
folded and balancing herself upon a wheel was used, or men angling for 
prizes. Notices often spoke of the lottery as a "speedy cure for a 
broken fortune." One of the most important public lotteries was held 
by Harvard University to build Stoughton Hall and, later on, Hol- 
worthy; in 1774 the Province held one to replenish the treasury. 
Charlestown also had a large one, as did Dartmouth College; there was 
also one to pave Boston Neck, to make Gloucester Road, to improve 
Plymouth Beach, and for the benefit of a paper mill in Milton. 
There were likewise many private lotteries, some of which were man- 
aged dishonestly, the drawn tickets often being sold a second time. 

The lottery originated in Florence in 1530, and was first instituted 
in England in 1507, when the first drawing took place at the west 
door of St. Paul's. 

General Lincoln of Massachusetts had a law passed in 1833 pro- 
hibiting the sale of tickets in this State. 



[ 35 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

LIBERTY TREE 

"Of high renown, here grew the tree. 
The Elm so dear to Liberty; 
Your sires, beneath its sacred shade, 
To Freedom early homage paid. 
This day with fihal awe surround 
Its root, that sanctifies the ground. 
And by your fathers' spirits swear. 
The rights they left you'll not impair." 

Judge Dawes. 

Hundreds of people daily hurry past the corner of Essex and 
Washington Streets and pass the spot where, exactly a century and 
a half ago, stood an old elm tree from the branches of which dangled 
the effigy of Andrew Oliver. Oliver was Secretary of the Province 
and personified to the people the Stamp Act, — the thing the colonists 
hated most in the world. This elm, which played such an important 
part in the early history of the Colony, came to be known as Liberty 
Tree. A freestone bas-relief now marks the spot where it once stood; 
thereon is the following inscription: — 

Liberty 1765 

Law and Order 

Sons of Liberty 1766 

Independence of their Country 1776. 

The effigy of Oliver, discovered swinging from the largest branch 
of the tree, created wild excitement. 

"Take it down," Governor Hutchinson commanded the sheriff. 

"I don't dare to, sir," retorted that dignitary. 

Local revolution was in the air — ^and the sheriff undoubtedly 
wanted to keep clear of the tar pot and a nice warm coat of many 
feathers. 

The day that Oliver's effigy hung, along with a boot, with the devil 
peeping out of it, might have been a holiday judging by the excitement 
that reigned throughout the town. The boot was intended as a pun 
upon the name of Lord Bute, Prime Minister of England. Business 
was practically suspended. Crowds came from miles around. All 
day long the figures dangled from the tree. When day closed the 
effigies were removed — a procession solemnly formed, followed by 
thousands of all sorts and conditions; the effigies were placed on a 
bier, and the procession marched solemnly to the Town House. From 
there it moved to the supposed office of the Stamp Master. On it 
went to Fort Hill, where the effigies were burned in full sight of Mr. 
Oliver's house. The Sons of Liberty, later on, compelled Oliver to 
make a public resignation before Richard Dana, Justice of the Peace, 
beneath the Liberty Tree; no other place would satisfy them. 

Other figures of those favoring the Stamp Act and other English 
regulations appeared on the branches of Liberty Tree, including those 
of Charles Paxton, a revenue collector, and Benjamin Hallo well, 
Comptroller of Customs. Then a tablet was fixed, — a copper plate 
bearing the inscription in gold letters, "The Tree of Liberty, August 
14, 1765." The spot became the meeting place of the Sons of Liberty 

[ 36 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

and continued to be until the colonists were driven out of Boston 
by the siege. The date February 14, 1766, was set on it by the Sons 
of Liberty, and by their order the old tree was pruned. The repeal 
of the Stamp Act was also celebrated with illuminations on the tree 
and on the Common. The ground about the tree became known as 
Liberty Hall, and in August, 1767, a flagstaff was erected which 
extended through the liighest branches of the tree; when a flag was 
hoisted from this staft", it was a signal for the Sons of Liberty to gather 
for an important conference. 

The admiration of Bostonians for their Liberty Tree is shown 
by the will of a man called Philip Billis, who left a considerable for- 
tune to two friends on condition that they would bury his body 
beneath the shadow of its branches. 

The British entertained as great a contempt for the tree as 
they did for the colonists. When poor Ditson was tarred and 
feathered he was compelled to parade in front of Liberty Tree. 
At length so great an eye-sore was the famous landmark that during 
the last week in August, 1775, a party led by Job Williams destroyed 
it. "Armed with axes," says the Essex Gazette of 1775, "they made 
a furious attack upon it. x\fter a long spell of laughing and grinning, 
sweating, swearing and foaming, wuth malice diabolical, they cut 
dow^n the tree because it bore the name of Liberty." One of the 
British party, during the attack, lost his life by falling from one of 
the highest branches to the pavement. The tree had been planted one 
hundred and nineteen years, in 1646, and the Pemberton Manuscript 
states that it bore the first fruits of liberty in America. Long after the 
Revolution the place where it had stood for so long was called Liberty 
Stump. On it was erected a pole which served for many years as 
a guide-post, which having decayed was replaced by a second pole 
just after the arrival of General Lafayette as a guest of the nation in 
1824. As the General's carriage stopped in front of the famous spot 
he was much affected. A pleasing incident occurred there. A 
young girl, with a red, white and blue sash across her shoulders, came 
down the steps of the Lafayette Hotel oj^posite, bearing on a silver 
salver two goblets and a bottle of old wine from France. Lafayette 
drank the wine she gave him with great gallantry. Later, in speak- 
ing of the Tree, he said, "The world should never forget where once 
stood the Liberty Tree, so famous in your annals." 

SIGNING OF THE CHARTER PAPERS OF THE BOSTON TEA 
PARTY VESSELS IN THE ROTCH WHALING OFFICE, 
NANTUCKET 

The Charter Papers of the three ships that brought the tea into 
Boston Harbour in 1773 were made out and signed in the whaling 
office of William Rotch, which still exists as a Club at the foot of old 
cobble-stoned Main Street in Nantucket. Rotch sailed for London 
in the early part of the year in a ship commanded by Alexander 
Coffin, and while there he made a contract with the East India Com- 
pany to take a cargo of tea to Boston in three of the ships belonging 
ito his firm. Two of the vessels were "whalers," one being the 

[ 37 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

Dartmouth of New Bedford, commanded by Captain James Hall, 
and the other the Beaver, captained by Hezekiah Coffin of Nantucket; 
the third was the Eleanor. 

It was this same Rotch who, after the Revolutionary War, moved 
his family and other Nantucket whalemen to Dunkirk, and from there 
carried on the pursuit of whaling, being the first ship-owner who ever 
sent a whaleship into the Pacific Ocean. On the occasion of a French 
victory, during his residence in Dunkirk, all the inhabitants lighted 
bonfires on their lawns, and any one who didn't do so was held under 
suspicion. Rotch was a Quaker, and it was contrary to his belief 




The Rotch WhaUng Office, now the Pacific Club, at the foot of Main Street, Nantucket, 
old whale weathervane can be seen above the building. 



The 



to celebrate in this manner. It was necessary therefore to seek the 
protection of the authorities in Dunkirk, who placed a representative 
on the lawn of all the Quaker residences to explain the reason why 
it was impossible for them to join in the celebrations. Rotch re- 
turned to America, but his son Benjamin and daughter-in-law never 
came back. She was so ill on the voyage over that her doctor advised 
her never to attempt the return journey, and she remained abroad all 
her life. 

The old brick counting house shown in the picture above was built 
in lll'l by William Rotch & Sons, who occupied it until 1795, when 
they moved to New Bedford. The old building has an exceedingly 
interesting history. Many a whaleship has been started from here 
on her long voyage to report years later her success or failure; and, 
finally, when the industry died out in 1861, seven of the captains 

[ 38 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

organized the Pacific Club, which was composed of retired whaling 
veterans, using the lower floor of the building for Club rooms. The 
last captain died in 1913 at the age of ninety, l)ut the original twenty- 
four memberships are to-day possessions that are highly prized by 
the descendants of the old whaling families of the Island. There are 
also forty-four "annual" members, twenty of whom are summer 
visitors. The ship prints on the walls would excite the envy of all 
collectors, and it is a pity that the old stove in the centre of the room 
cannot repeat the whaling yarns that have been told around it. In 
the picture can be seen the whale weathervane rising from a platform 
so common in the Nantucket houses, which is built on the roof to 
enable the families to detect the home-coming of their ships. 

The Tea Party was productive of several amusing incidents. All 
of the contents of the three hundred and forty-two chests of tea did 
not float down the harbour with the tide. When Thomas Melville, 
one of the "Mohawk Band," returned home his wife collected some 
of the tea from his shoes and preserved it in a bottle. It is believed 
that this possession was handed down to Samuel Shaw, son of Judge 
Shaw, and it is doubtless in existence to-day, the property of a member 
of the family. Several persons were detected in the act of stealing 
tea. One of the "Indians" filled his pockets and even the lining of 
his clothes, but was soon detected. Some one grabbed him by his 
coat, which came off, enabling the wearer to escape, but not without 
having to run the gauntlet of the crowd on the wharf, each one of 
whom gave him a kick. His coat was nailed to the whipping-post 
in Charlestown, the place of his residence, with the name of the owner 
labelled upon it in large letters. 

It is only natural that Bostonians should take a deep interest in 
this old building, which serves to link together by its history the town 
of Nantucket and our city. 

GENERAL WARREN CLIMBS THROUGH THE WINDOW OF 
THE OLD SOUTH CHURCH TO DELIVER HIS FAMOUS 
"MASSACRE" SPEECH 

Warren raised himself, a Tory writer has said, from a barelegged 
boy to be a major-general. As a boy, he was manly, fearless and 
independent, which characteristics he still possessed as he grew into 
manhood. He was so determined to commemorate in a fitting way 
the Boston Massacre that he climbed in the window of the Old South 
Church, there being no other way of reaching the pulpit, and there 
delivered his address before an audience of townspeople and a com- 
pany of armed officers of the king's army. There's a story told of his 
college days at Harvard. Several of his class in the course of a frolic 
tried to exclude him by shutting themselves in a chamber and bar- 
ring the door so tightly that he could not force it. Wan-en, bent on 
joining them, saw that their window was open, and that a spout was 
near it which reached from the roof to the ground. He went to the 
top of the house, walked to the spout, slid by it to the open window, 
and threw himself into the room. At that instant the spout fell. 
He quietly remarked that it had served his purpose. He then en- 

[ 39 ] • 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

tered into the sport of his classmates. "A spectator of this feat and 
narrow escape," says Knapp, "related this fact to me in the college 
yard, nearly half a century afterwards, and the impression it made 
on his mind was so strong that he seemed to feel the same emotions 
as though it happened an hour before." 

Warren was a writer as well as an orator. He was thirty-five 
years old when he delivered his oration on the anniversary of the 
Boston Massacre. It was in 1775, and the town was occupied by 
hostile troops. It had been given out that it would be at the price 
of life to any man to speak of the massacre, as there was unrest and 
clashing on every hand, and the parties concerned were on the verge 
of war. In the midst of such conditions, at his own suggestion, War- 
ren was appointed orator. The anniversary fell on Sunday. It 
was to be celebrated on Monday, and early in the day carriages and 
people began to arrive in Boston. The Old South was crowded. The 
pulpit was draped in black. On the platform were the chief leaders 
of the colonists, — Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and the rest. It 
was observed that the aisles were crowded with British officers, 
thereupon Samuel Adams courteously asked the occupants of the 
front pews to move that the officers might be seated. Some forty, 
in uniform, filled the pews and the pulpit stairs. The audience was 
uneasy. There was a stir among the crowd outside, and Warren 
drove up in a chaise and went directly to the house opposite the 
church, where he put on his black robe. To avoid the crowd he went 
around to the rear of the church, gathered his robe about him, climbed 
a ladder and entered the church through the window back of the pulpit. 
The silence that followed his appearance in the pulpit was oppressive. 

"His speech," says Frothingham, "imbued with the spirit of a 
high chivalry and faith, resounds with the clash of arms. The 
speeches in which prominent actors in Grecian and Roman story 
develop their policy or promote their objects, not words actually 
spoken, but what the relator thought fitting to have been spoken, 
were regarded as valuable delineations of the temper of these times. 
But here were the words of an earnest and representative man, ut- 
tered on the eve of a great war, and in the presence of a military 
power whom he was soon to meet in the field." 

For the sake of the cause, it has been said, Warren dared to speak 
what some scarce dared to think. 

Some of the officers groaned when the Old South audience ap- 
plauded — though as a whole they remained quiet until the close of 
the oration. Captain Chapman of the Welsh Fusileers, seated near 
the pulpit, held up a handful of bullets in the course of the oration, 
and Warren, observing the action, dropped his white handkerchief 
over the officer's open palms and then continued his fiery remarks. 
Later, when the town's representatives moved that the thanks of 
the town be presented to the orator for the oration, the British 
officers pounded on the floor with their canes, some hissed, others 
cried "Fie! Fie!" — the latter, being understood for a cry of fire, 
caused some panic. Even then, the king's representatives did not 
succeed in breaking up the meeting. The 47th Regiment happened 
to pass the church at the time, and the commander ordered the 

[ 40 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

drums to beat in order to drown the voice of the orator. It was 
learned afterwards that a plot had been arranged to seize Adams, 
Hancock and Warren. It had been planned that an ensign was to 
give the signal by throwing an egg at the orator, but luckily he fell 
on the way to the meeting, dislocating his knee and breaking the egg, 
thereby spoiling the scheme. 

"The xA.ssembly," says Samuel Adams, "was irritated to the 
greatest degree, and confusion ensued. They, however, did not gain 
their end, which was apparently to break up the meeting, for order 
was soon restored. It was provoking enough to the whole corps that 
while there were many troops stationed here, there should yet be 
one for the purpose of delivering an oration, to commemorate a 
massacre perpetrated by soldiers and to show the danger of standing 
armies." 

"The scene was sublime," Samuel L. Knapp says. "There was 
in this appeal to Britain — in this description of suffering, dying, 
horrors — a calm and high-souled defiance which must have chilled 
the blood of every sensible foe. Such another hour has seldom hap- 
pened in the history of man, and is not surpassed in the records of 
nations. The thunders of Demosthenes rolled in the distance at 
Philip and his host; and Tully poured the fiercest torrent of invective 
when Catiline was at a distance, and his dagger no longer feared, but 
Warren's speech was made to proud oppressors resting on their arms, 
whose errand it was to overawe, and whose business it was to fight." 

THE LAST BALL IN THE PROVINCE HOUSE, WITH SOME 
INTERESTING INFORMATION IN REGARD TO THE 
HOUSE 

Sir William Howe, the last Royal Governor of the Colonies, gave a 
ball at Province House on February 22, 1776, during the latter part 
of the siege of Boston. It was attended by the officers of the British 
army and the Royal Tories of the Province, and every one appeared 
masked and in some kind of masquerade costume. It was Sir 
William's idea to have some kind of festivity in order to hide the 
distress and general gloom caused by the siege. Nathaniel Hawthorne 
gives us a description, which, although full of romance and legend, 
nevertheless is an excellent picture of Boston at this time. The 
chief interest was centred on a group of persons who were dressed 
up most ridiculously in old regimental costumes which looked as 
if they might have been worn at the siege of Louisburg, or in some 
of the old wars. One person represented George Washington, others 
Gates, Lee, Putnam and other officers of the American army. 
They looked more like scarecrows than anything else. There was 
an interview between these skeleton warriors and the British Com- 
mander-in-chief, which was received with great applause. It is related 
that while tlie party was in progress there went by a parade with 
muffled drums, the trumpets giving forth a wailing sound which 
was evidently intended to worry Sir William and make him realize 
that troubles were near at hand. He went out of the house and 
ordered it to disperse. The Puritan Governors P^ndicott, Winthrop» 

[ 41 ] 




PROVINCE HOUSE AS IT IS TO-DAY. 

The wall on the right of fire-escape is the original east end of the Province House, 
impossible to get a better view, on account of the narrow passageway. 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

Vane, Dudley, Haynes, Bellingham and Leverett were then seen 
walking down the staircase. Lord Percy believed that there might 
be some kind of a plot, but his host persuaded him that it was only 
a jest and a very stupid one at that. Old Governor Bradstreet 
then appeared, followed by Governors Andros, Phips, the Earl of 
Bellamont, Governors Belcher, Dudley, Burnet and Shute. Sir 
^Yilliam Howe and his guests watched the pageant with anger, con- 
tempt and fear. Governors Shirley, Pownall, Bernard and Hutchin- 
son were also represented. Last of all appeared the figure of Governor 
Howe about to leave the Province House. The figure walked to 
the door, clenched his hands, stamped his foot and uttered a curse as 
he gave up his home after his defeat. It is said that not long after 
this he actually used these same gestures when as the last Royal 
Governor he left the Province House never to return. While the 
ball was in progress it is reported that there was a roar of artillery 
which announced that Washington had captured another entrench- 
ment at Dorchester Heights. Captain Joliffe, a Whig, who happened 
to be present, asked Sir William if he realized the significance of the 
pageant, and was warned by his host "to take care of his gray head 
and that it had stood too long on a traitor's shoulders." JoliflFe 
replied that the Empire of Britain in this Ancient Province was 
about to give its last gasp that night. The festival soon broke up. 

The names of the actors of that night have never been found out, 
but have gone down in history together with the Indians who scattered 
the boxes of tea in Boston Harbour. There is a legend that on the 
anniversary night of the defeat of the British, the ghosts of the 
ancient governors of Massachusetts glide through the doorway of 
Province House. 

When the Governor left he handed over the key to old Esther 
Dudley, his housekeeper, who, it is related, stayed for many years 
in the old house and was still faithful to the King. It is said that 
many of the old Tories of Boston used to meet here and drink some 
of the old wine that was still left. It has even been rejjorted that 
she used to illuminate the house every year on the anniversary 
of the King's birthday and that she often climbed to the cupola 
in search of a British fleet or a procession of Redcoats, which 
she always thought would come and recapture the Colony. The 
people, however, felt quite difl'erently, for they often would say, 
"When the golden Indian on the Province House shall shoot his 
arrow, and the cock on the Old South steeple shall crow, then look 
for the Royal Governor again." This was a by-word in the town. 

The land of the Province House, the original plan of which can be 
seen in the office of C. H. W. Foster, Esq., was given to the Massa- 
chusetts General Hospital in 1811, the same year it was incorporated. 
The Trustees of the Hospital in 1817 leased the property for ninety- 
nine years to David Greenough, who changed over the front of the 
building into stores and leased them. Later the building was turned 
into a tavern and then into a hall for negro minstrels, until it was 
almost destroyed by fire in 18G4. The house is now used as part 
of the Old South Theatre, which has its entrance on Washington 
Street almost opposite the Old South Church. The photograph on 

[ 43 1 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

page 42 gives a view of the northeast wall, now one side of the theatre^ 
which is practically as it has been for several generations. It is 
well worth a visit and may be found by going up School Street, 
then along Province Street, turning down the first alleyway before 
coming to Province Court, which is extremely narrow. The old wall 
is at the end of the passageway on the right. This end of the old 
house consists of a huge exterior chimney, which is "stepped," or 
smaller at the top than at the bottom. There is only one like it in 
all New England. The entire front wall towards Washington Street 
^then Marlborough Street — is still standing, but is more difficult to 
find on account of the extension erected by the theatre. Of the 
other two sides, scarcely any part exists to-day. 

The Indian which stood on the cupola is now in the possession of the 
Massachusetts Historical Society. The porch once stood in front of 
the "Poore" farm, at Indian Hill, West Newbury, now owned by the 
family of F. S. Moseley, Esq. The interior panelling from one of the 
rooms of Province House, said to have been the Council Chamber, is 
now in one of the rooms at Indian Hill. 

"FROG" DINNER GIVEN TO THE OFFICERS OF THE 
FRENCH FLEET 

When Admiral d'Estaing and his fleet visited Boston in 1778, they 
were most hospitably received, and among the various entertainments 
held in their honor was a dinner given by Mr. Nathaniel Tracy of 
Cambridge. He had seen some of d'Estaing's sailors hunting frogs 
in the Frog Pond, and, believing them to be a national dish, he 
had all the swamps of Cambridge searched for enough of these animals 
to supply his guests. There was a large tureen at each end of the 
table, and from one of these Tracy ladled out soup and a frog for each 
guest. The French Consul, M. L'Etombe, fished out his frog, 
held it up by its hind legs, exclaiming, "Mon Dieu, une grenouille," 
and then passed it around the table to his friends. The Frenchmen 
were greatly surprised at this "delicate attention," and Mr. Tracy 
was fully as astonished to find that they did not appreciate his efforts 
in the way that he had intended. "What's the matter?" said he. 
"Why don't you eat them.'*" "If they knew the confounded trouble 
I had to catch them in order to treat them to a dish of their own 
country, they would find that, with me at least, it was no joking 
matter." 

John Hancock, the Governor of Massachusetts, also welcomed 
the Frenchmen to his attractive house on Beacon Hill. It was impor- 
tant for America while at war with England to encourage the 
friendship of the French, with whom a treaty had just been made. 
Governor Hancock was much disturbed at the prospect of entertain- 
ing such distinguished guests, and in a letter to Henry Quincy begged 
him to help find suitable food for them. Admiral d'Estaing asked 
if he might bring his three hundred officers with him. There wasn't 
food enough for all, but Mrs. Hancock rose to the occasion and sent 
her servants to the Common to milk any cows they could find. 
The owners of the animals were more amused than displeased and 

[ 44 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

made no protest. The French Admiral invited the Governor's 
wife to dine on board his flagship, and she got even with him by 
bringing with her all the women she could get together. While at 
dinner she was requested to pull a cord, which was the signal to dis- 
charge all the guns of the squadron in her honor. 

Admiral d'Estaing was later one of the victims of the guillotine in 
the French Revolution. 

THE PENOBSCOT EXPEDITION— PAUL REVERE 
A LIEUTENANT 

For several reasons this expedition is of interest to the people of 
Boston and Massachusetts. Brigadier-General Solomon Lovell of 
Weymouth was Commander-in-Chief, Peleg Wadsworth, Adjutant- 
General of Massachusetts, was second in command, and Paul Revere 
was Lieutenant-Colonel in command of a train of artillery. Also the 
attack was directed against Bagaduce, now part of Castine, which is 
near the Penobscot River and within a few hours' sail of Camden, 
Islesboro, Isle au Haut, Belfast and Nortli Haven, where many resi- 
dents of this State have their summer homes. General Lovell's 
diary, found in 1879 and published in 1881 by the Weymouth His- 
torical Society, gives a most accurate account of this expedition, which 
at the time of sailing from Boston, July 19, 1779, seemed to be most 
formidable, but which turned out actually to be a most unfortunate 
undertaking. Solomon Lovell had served as Colonel of one of the 
Massachusetts regiments at Dorchester Heights in 1776; he was re- 
lated to James Lovell Little and Luther Little, both of Boston. 
Though the expedition was a failure, it was through no fault of 
General Lovell's, who showed himself throughout to be an honest, 
brave and competent officer. 

In June, 1779, a British force under General McLean took possession 
of a peninsula on Penobscot Bay, now part of Castine, in order to 
prevent the ships of Boston, Newburyport, Salem and Marblehead 
from making this Maine seaport their base in their raids upon British 
commerce. The British troops then built a fort two hundred and 
fifty feet square, called Fort George, on the high ground of the 
peninsula. Its outline is still standing, and the remains of the 
dungeon are clearly visible. The interior to-day furnishes a con- 
venient practice field for the Castine Baseball Club, and the earth- 
works afford excellent bunkers for the Castine Golf Club. 

The news of the occupation of Castine by the enemy caused con- 
sternation among the Eastern Colonies, and orders were issued by 
the General Court to fit out an expedition to dispossess the English 
of their newly acquired territory. The Board of War was ordered to 
ec^uip the Warren and the Providence and other vessels, to muster 
l,'-200 militia and 100 artillery, and to collect ammunition, provisions 
and supplies of all kinds. The fleet of nineteen ships, under the 
command of Dudley Saltonstall, of New London, was probably the 
strongest naval force furnished by New England during the Revolution. 
The cost was £1,739,174 lis. 4>d. and proved to be a large burden on 
the Colony. 

[ 45 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

The expedition arrived oflF the Fox Islands on the 24th of July, and 
on the 26th the marines attacked one of the enemy's positions with 
success, capturing their flag. General Lovell then decided that a 
combined land and naval attack should be made, but Commodore 
Saltonstall believed for some reason that this would not be a prudent 
move. Therefore, on the 28th, General Lovell determined to carry 
out his land attack alone. He was completely successful, his soldiers 
scaling the precipitous bluffs and capturing a position on the plateau 
above. The ascent of this cliff in the face of veteran troops was re- 
garded as one of the most brilliant exploits of the entire war. While 
General Lovell's troops were encamped near Fort George one of 
his men, while going beyond the lines for a pail of water, was twice 
fired upon by sixty or more English soldiers, and much to their astonish- 
ment the New Englander didn't receive a scratch. The Commodore 
still would not agree to push forward with his fleet until General 
Lovell began his attack on Fort George, therefore the latter determined 
to push forward against the fort and to rely upon the fleet to back 
him up. As the ships were weighing anchor a fleet of British rein- 
forcements was seen approaching, whereupon the Massachusetts 
troops immediately had to retreat and embark on their transports. 
Again Commodore Saltonstall would not attack, but set sail for the 
Bagaduce River, at the head of the harbour of Castine. There 
was nothing now for the soldiers to do except to escape to shore, 
leaving their transports to run aground or to be captured by the 
enemy. General Lovell endeavored to collect his forces but without 
avail, and after much suffering and hardship he and his men found 
their way back to Boston in small detachments. Captain Wadsworth 
some time later was captured by the British in his home at Thomaston, 
and was imprisoned in a jail in Castine, from which he made a miracu- 
lous escape. 

The American ships-of-war sailed into the Bagaduce trap and were 
all captured or burned. A hostile fleet of seven sail had beaten and 
destroyed the entire fleet of nineteen vessels. The defeat was a 
disgraceful one. Paul Revere left his ordnance brig and went ashore 
at Fort Pownal. This ship, with all the artillery and ammunition, 
was deserted, but made her way alone up the river for several miles, 
where she was finally burned. About twenty-five of the English 
soldiers died of smallpox a few years later and were buried on Lasell's 
Island, which is about half-way between Rockland and Islesboro. It 
is said that their graves can still be seen. 

The failure of the expedition depleted the treasury of the Province 
and caused such excitement that the General Court appointed a 
committee to examine into and report the causes of failure. This 
committee consisted of Generals Michael Farley and Jonathan 
Titcomb, Colonel Moses Little, Major Samuel Osgood, James Prescott, 
Generals x\rtemas Ward and Timothy Danielson, Hon. W'illiam 
Sever and Francis Dana. Artemas Ward was the chairman. General 
Lovell was entirely exonerated, the blame being placed on the failure 
of the fleet to advance in conjunction with the land forces. Paul 
Revere was somewhat censured for his conduct, a somewhat extraor- 
dinary happening, as he was usually very efficient in his undertakings. 

[ 46 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

Besides being a soldier he was a goldsmith, coppersmith, operated 
the first powder mill in the Province, took part in the Tea Party, 
was an engraver, owned a bell foundry at the North End and a 
manufacturing company for copper bolts, etc., at Canton, Mass., 
and was also President of the Mechanics Charitable Association. 

It is not generally known that he as well as many others at this 
time also practised dentistry in conjunction with other trades, as 
shown by the following notices which appeared in Boston on July 
19, 1770:— 

Paul Revere takes this method of returning his most sincere thanks to the 
gentlemen and ladies who liave employed him in the care of their teeth. He 
would now inform them and all others, who are so unfortunate as to lose 
their teeth by accident or otherwise, that he still continues the business of 
a dentist and flatters himself that from the experience he has had these two 
years (in which time he has fixt some hundreds of teeth) that he can fix them 
as well as any Surgeon Dentist who ever came from London. He fixes them 
in such a manner that they are not only an ornament but of real use in speak- 
ing and eating; he cleanses the teeth and will wait on any gentleman or lady 
at their lodgings. He may be spoke with at his shop opposite Dr. Clark's 
at the North End, where the gold and silver-smith business is carried on in 
all its branches. 

Whereas many persons are so unfortunate as to lose their fore-teeth by 
accident and otherwise, to their great detriment, not only in looks but speak- 
ing, both in public and private; — this is to inform all such that they may 
have them replaced with false ones that look as well as the natural and answer 
the end of speaking to all intents. By Paul Revere, Goldsmith, near the 
head of Dr. Clark's wharf, Boston. 

All persons who have had false teeth fixed by Mr. John Baker, Surgeon 
Dentist, and they have got loose (as they will in time) may have them fastened 
by the above who learnt the method of fixing them from Mr. Baker. 

It is interesting to know that Castine has been owned at different 
times by five nations, Dutch, Indians, French, English and Americans, 
and several sea fights have taken place between this harbour and the 
Island of Islesboro directly opposite. In 1813 the English cut a canal 
across the mainland from the Bagaduce River to Wadsworth Cove to 
enable their ships to escape should they ever be suddenly attacked. 
The remains of this canal can still be seen. 

DR. JOHN JEFFRIES OF BOSTON— THE FIRST AMERICAN 
TO FLY OVER THE ENGLISH CHANNEL 

To-day, when the air-craft is so much talked about, it is interesting 
and instructive to recall the unique experience of Dr. Jeffries, who, 
on January 7, 1785, flew across the English Channel in a balloon 
with a Frenchman named Frangois Blanchard. The only condition 
upon which Blanchard would take him was that if it were necessary 
to lighten the balloon his guest should jump overboard, and there 
were several times on the trip across when Dr. Jeffries must have had 
his agreement most unpleasantly brought to mind. Even when they 
were making preparations to start, Blanchard put on a girdle to in- 
crease his weight so that he would have an excuse not to take the 
Bostonian with him, which wasn't very fair, as Dr. Jeffries had paid 

[47 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 




The column erected by public authority to 
commemorate the event, and placed in the Forest 
of Guisnes, on the spot where Dr. Jeffries and 
Mr. Blanchard alighted after their aerial voyage 
from England into France on the 7th of January, 
1785. From a print in the Bostonian Society 
rooms. 



all Blanchard's expenses so far and 
had also guaranteed the cost of the 
trip. 

The cliffs of Dover were black 
with people as the balloon and its 
two occupants sailed away toward 
France. Soon after starting they 
had to throw out ballast, then Dr. 
Jeffries' pamphlets, next their bis- 
cuits, apples, etc., then the orna- 
ments of the car, and even the 
only bottle they had with them 
(the contents of which have never 
been disclosed!). Finally, as they 
neared the French coast, the bal- 
loon again descended so rapidly 
that they began to throw over the 
clothes they were wearing, one 
article of apparel after another, 
and when finally Dr. Jeffries caught 
hold of the topmost branch of one 
of the trees on the shore of the 
Continent and arrested the progress of the balloon, it was necessary 
for them both to search for an entirely new supply of clothing. The 
landing was made near the place where Henry the Eighth, King of 
England, and Francis the First, King of France, held their famous 
interview on a plain known afterwards as "The Field of Cloth of 
Gold," which was between Ardres and Guisnes, near Calais. The 
voyage consumed about three hours. A monument with a balloon-like 

ball on its apex was later erected 
upon this spot in commemoration 
of their wonderful trip, and Blan- 
chard received a gift of money 
from the King. The Doctor read 
a paper describing his voyage be- 
fore the Royal Society of London 
in January, 1786. 

A preliminary trial took place 
from London to Kent, and Dr. 
Jeffries was obliged to give his pilot 
one hundred guineas before he was 
allowed to go as a passenger. The 
place of ascent was near Grosvenor 
Square, the Prince of Wales, the 
Duchess of Devonshire and others 
of the nobility being present. 

For some curious reason Blan- 
chard had a grievance against 
Dr. Jeffries, and when he came to 
Philadelphia eight years later he 
publicly insulted the Doctor by 




Dr. John Jeffries in the balloon. From a print 
in the Bostonian Society rooms. 



[ 48 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

placing on the door of his carriage a picture of Jeffries in the balloon 
holding a bottle of brandy to his mouth. A motto underneath inti- 
mated that he was obliged to resort to this "Dutch courage" to enable 
him to undergo the ordeal of the dangerous trip. 

Dr. Jeffries was born in Boston in 1745 and was a most interesting 
character. During the Revolution his sympathies were always with 
the British. General Joseph Warren, the day before the Battle of 
Bunker Hill, implored him to "come over on the right side," and, 
on the next day, it was Dr. Jeffries who found and identified the body 
of General Warren while he was attending to his duties as surgeon 
in the King's army. He accompanied the English troops to Halifax 
after the evacuation of Boston, went to London in 1780 and returned 
to Boston in 1789, when he delivered the first public lecture on 
anatomy ever given in New England. His hobby, however, was 
always ballooning. Dr. Jeffries was very popular, especially with the 
old ladies of Boston, who usually called him "Dr. Jeffers." He was 
a consulting physician, and Dr. Samuel A. Green said that if "he were 
seen entering a sick man's door it was very likely to mean nothing 
more nor less than a 'nunc dimittis.' " He died in Boston in 1819. 

THE FIRST UNITED STATES BANK IN BOSTON 

Alexander Hamilton, first Secretary of the Treasury, conceived 
the idea of a government bank as early as 1779. His belief was that 
such an institution would help to support public credit and that it 
would also enable the richer men to co-operate with the Government. 
The bill for its establishment was signed by Washington on February 
25, 1791, and three branches opened in January of the following year 
at Boston, Baltimore and New York, the head office being of course 
in Philadelphia. Five more were added later on in the following 
cities: Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans and Washington. 
The Boston Branch was the third in size, with a capital of $700,000. 
The total capital of the Bank was $10,000,000, the Government sub- 
scribing $2,000,000 of this amount. The first President of the parent 
Bank was Thomas W illing, and he received the large salary of $3,000. 
The first head of the Boston Branch was Thomas Russell, and the 
cashier was Peter Roe Dalton. George Cabot, a close friend of Alex- 
ander Hamilton, became President of the Boston Branch in 1810. 
The parent institution had twenty-five directors and each branch 
nine. Among some of the earliest of the Boston directors we find 
the names of Joseph Barrell, John Codman, Caleb Davis, Christopher 
Gore, John C. Jones, John Lowell, Theodore Lyman, J. Mason, Jr., 
Joseph Russell, Jr., David Sears, Israel Thorndike and William 
Wetmore. 

Within four years after the opening of the United States Bank the 
Government had to borrow two-thirds of its total capital, and Presi- 
dent W^illing was placed in the embarrassing situation of being 
obliged to ask to have this loan reduced. Accordingly, in 1797 the 
Government had to sell its shares, which netted a huge profit of 
$671,860 on the original investment. Most of this stock was sold 
abroad at $145 per share, and the purchasers later on suffered severe 

[ 49 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

losses. In 1811 the Bank's charter expired. There then ensued 'a 
party dispute, and as the Democrats had an assured majority in 
Congress, it was a foregone conclusion that the fate of the Bank was 
sealed. Gallatin favored a renewal of the charter, but many were 
opposed to this plan, owing to the fact that such a large amount of 
stock had been sold in Europe, and it was feared that this would mean 
sending money abroad. The vote in the Senate was a tie, 17 to 17, and 
Vice-President Clinton, an enemy of Gallatin's, cast the deciding vote, 
and the First Bank of the United States perished on March 14, 1811. 
The Bank liquidated at 109, the stock having sold in 1802 at $153 a 
share. It was brought out in the debates in Congress that the Boston 
Branch was conducted with "correctness, integrity and impartiality." 







1^///. // ////^y- //^///.> /,w//y, ,,///, ///X 

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Certificate of unredeemed stock of the Second United States Bank. Photographed through the 
kindness of Mr. F. H. Curtiss of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. 

The deposits just before closing amounted to only $7,800,000, Boston 
having $1,500,000. The largest Government deposit at any time 
was $5,500,000, which would seem small to-day; the largest in Boston 
was $1,173,000 in 1806. United States deposits drew no interest. 
The Bank from the income point of view was most successful, paying 
an average of 8{| per cent, to its shareholders. The first location 
was on the site of the present Brazer Building; later, on the site 
of the present Exchange Building, and finally on Congress Street, near 
State Street. 

Some of the early rules of the Bank are most interesting. One 
by-law provided that the rate on loans should never be below 5 per 
cent, nor over 6 per cent. There were only two days a week when 
discounts could be submitted, and the Bank had two days to decide 
on loans. No borrower could obtain money for over sixty days, and 
in most of the few banks existing at this time no one could borrow 
over $5,000, and every loan had to be paid at maturity. 

[ 50 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

The Second United States Bank was started in 1817 and dissolved 
in 1836, chiefly owing to the fact tliat President Jackson withdrew 
all the government deposits in 1833. The capital was $35,000,000, 
of which tlie Government subscribed $7,000,000. The Boston Branch 
endeavored to purchase the Old State House, but finally erected a 
fine building on the present site of the Merchants Bank. The pillars 
furnished such desirable roosting places for pigeons that the President 
had wooden cats placed where the pigeons were accustomed to perch. 
They were at first frightened away, but later could be seen roosting 
even on the cats themselves. 



LAUNCHING OF THE "CONSTITUTION" 

"Come all ye Yankee heroes, come listen to my song, 
I'll tell you of a bloody fight before that it be long, 
It was of the Constitution, from Boston she set sail, 
To cruise along the coast, my boys, our rights for to maintain." 

After two unsuccessful attempts Old Ironsides, the "Pride of the 
American Navy," was launched on October !21, 1797. Only a few 
people were present. On the first previous attempt she slid only eight 
feet down the ways and disappomted hundreds of spectators who lined 
the shore of Noddle's Island, now East Boston. The second attempt 
was also a failure, and the Constitution was considered an "ill-fated 
ship." At half past twelve on that cold October day she glided grace- 
fully upon the water. Captain Nicholson, her commander, breaking 
over her bows a bottle of choice Madeira from the cellar of the Hon. 
Thomas Russell, one of Boston's leading merchants. The launching 
took place at Edmund Hart's shipyard, now known as Constitution 
Wharf, on Atlantic Avenue. An incident occurred just before the 
launching that aroused Commodore Nicholson's wrath. He gave 
notice that he himself wished to hoist the flag, but while he was at 
lunch two workmen, Samuel Bentley and Isaac Harris, raised the 
Stars and Stripes. Harris atoned for his mistake by climbing some 
years after to the roof of the Old South Church and putting out a 
serious fire that threatened its destruction. 

The Constitution was designed by Joshua Humphreys, of Philadel- 
phia, and was constructed under the guidance of Colonel George Clag- 
horne, of New Bedford. Her length was 175 feet, and she carried 400 
men. Her cost was $30'-2,718.84. She was distinctly a Boston ship. 
John T. Morgan, a Boston shipwright, chose the wood; Paul Revere 
furnished the copper bolts and spikes for $3,8*20.33, by a process known 
only to him; and Ephraim Thayer, whose shop was in the South End, 
made the gun carriages. The same Isaac Harris, just mentioned, made 
her new masts in 18l!2. Her sails were made in the Old Granary, 
which stood on the site of Park Street Church, her anchors were made 
at Hanover, Mass., and the duck for the sails was manufactured by a 
company which stood on the corner of Tremont and Boylston Streets. 
Boston was not only the city of her birth, but the home to which she 
returned after many of her triumphs. In 1812 Commodore Hull 
brought her into Boston Harbour after his wonderful escape from the 

[ 51 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

British squadron, then later she came in after the fight with the 
Guerriere; and still again Commodore Bainbridge brought her home 
after having captured the Java. Commodore Macdonough com- 
manded her when she sailed from Boston in 1826. No ship ever saw 
so much action or had such a romantic history. Her glorious career is 
chiefly responsible for the downfall of England's naval supremacy 
at this time. Before the war of 1812 Great Britain had boasted that 

"Others may use the ocean as their road, 
Only the English make it their abode." 




The "Constitution" and other American ships-of-war bombarding Tripoli. From an old print. 



In the early part of April of 1814, the Constitution was chased into 
Marblehead by the Montague, and it was reported that three frigates 
were in pursuit. The New England Guards marched to her defence, 
but discovered when they were almost there that they had forgotten 
every bit of ammunition. One of the company was Abbott Lawrence, 
afterwards our Minister to England, who hurried out to join his 
troops in his pumps, which he finally contrived to exchange with a 
countryman for a pair of brogans and with the loss of five dollars. 

The Constitution was hauled out in the new dry-docks in 1833 
and launched again in June of the next year, having been thoroughly 
overhauled by Josiah Barker, whose shipyard occupied the site of 
the present Navy Yard. In this yard there is one of the famous 
umbrellas that was used to warp the frigate away from Broke's 
squadron, in July, 1812. At this time occurred the affair of the 
figurehead. An image of President Andrew Jackson had been 

[ 52] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

placed on the bow, and this action caused much dissatisfaction, as 
the President had become very unpopular. On the 3rd of July 
Captain Samuel Dewey performed the daring feat of sawing off the 
head, and upon his return to shore he and his friends celebrated the 
event. The author of the deed remained undiscovered for some 
time, but finally he took the head to Dickinson, then Secretary of 
the Navy, saying that he wished to return it to the Government. 
The morning after the strange disappearance of the figurehead 
young Dewey was missing. His mother suspected that her son 
knew who was responsible, so she went down to the back yard and 




FRIGATE "CONSTITUTION" PETITION. 
Taken three-quarters of an hour before Congress convened. The only petition which was ever 
placed on the floor of the House in the whole history of the United States. Congressman McCall 
presented it. 

licked the sole of one of his boots which was hanging on the line. 
It tasted of salt, which confirmed her suspicions. The Constihdion 
sailed with a piece of canvas painted to represent the American 
Flag over the beheaded image. At New York a new head was put 
on and this time with a copper bolt. 

The Constitution has often been represented on the stage, and one 
of the most exciting scenes showed the Guerriere s mast going over- 
board and Commodore Hull repeating his famous remark, "Hurrah, 
my boys, we've made a brig of her, next time we'll make her a sloop." 

In 190G Mr. Eric Pape was instrumental in having a petition signed 
which was presented to Congress and which saved the Constitution 
from being taken out to sea and used as a target, as had been suggested. 
This petition, a picture of which we show in the cut above, was 

[ 53 J 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

signed by the Governor and almost all the living ex-Governors of the 
Commonwealth, by seventy Mayors and ex-Mayors, by twenty- 
five survivors of the crew, by twelve of Bainbridge's grandchildren 
and by many of the descendants of Stewart and Hull; also one of 
the signatures on the petition was that of Mrs. Susan L. Clarke, of 
Boston, who was almost ninety years old at the time, and who was 
a daughter of the fifer of the Constitution in all of her three great battles. 
The paper was also signed by thirty thousand other citizens of this 
Commonwealth. The petition was divided into three parts, one of 
which was open for public signatures at City Hall, one at the old 
State House, and the third at the Branch Office of the State Street 
Trust Company. It measured one hundred and seventy feet long, and 
the names are signed nine and ten abreast. 

The wonderful verses of Oliver Wendell Holmes are also responsible 
to a large extent for her preservation: — 

*'0h, better that her shattered hulk 
Should sink beneath the wave; 
Her thunders shook the mighty deep, 
And there should be her grave. 
Nail to the mast her holy flag, 
Set every threadbare sail. 
And give her to the God of storms. 
The lightning and the gale." 

It is with pride that Boston people will look back and remem- 
ber that to Massachusetts and especially to Boston belongs the credit 
of having saved Old Ironsides. 

LAFAYETTE LAYS THE CORNER-STONE OF BUNKER HILL 

MONUMENT 

Lafayette, at the age of sixty-seven, journeyed almost five thou- 
sand miles through sixteen Republics in less than four months in order 
to lay the corner-stone of Bunker Hill Monument at the celebra- 
tion commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the battle of Bunker 
Hill. Few persons believed that he would really come over here, 
and when he appeared at the State House on the 16th of June, in the 
year 1825, the people of New England were almost wild with de- 
light. He was met by Governor Lincoln, the Senate, House of Repre- 
sentatives and City officials, and in reply to the addresses of welcome, 
he said that Bunker Hill had been the pole-star upon which his 
eyes had been fixed. While here he stayed at the house of Senator 
Lloyd in Pemberton Square. 

The procession, which was in charge of General Lyman, was headed 
by two hundred officers and soldiers of the Revolution, followed by 
forty veterans who had taken part in the fight at Bunker Hill. 
Many of them wore the same cartridge boxes they used fifty years 
before, and one old soldier carried the same drum that he had with 
him in the battle. Before the procession started Mayor Quincy, 
who was master of ceremonies, had the honor of introducing the 
survivors of the great battle to Lafayette, and the ceremony must 
have been pathetic and impressive. He was drawn in the parade 

[ 54 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

by six wliite horses. The head of the procession reached the monu- 
ment before the rear had left the Common. The pyramid which 
had been built on the hill had been removed, and from one of the 
timbers a cane had been turned out, which was presented, suitably 
inscribed, to the man who at the age of nineteen volunteered his 
services and risked his life to help make America free. 

Lafayette then laid the corner-stone according to Masonic regula- 
tions. The addresses were made in a huge amphitheatre on the 
northeast side of the hill, Lafayette occupying a seat on the front 
part of the platform, with the survivors of the l)attle just behind him. 
He himself was the last surviving Major General of the American 
Revolutionary Army. Dr. Dexter, who had been in the battle, 
offered the prayer, and Daniel Webster was the orator of the day. 
When he had finished his speech some one in the audience was intro- 
duced to him. He said he couldn't believe he really was Daniel 
Webster, the wonderful orator, because he understood every word he 
said. A banquet was held immediately after the addresses, and Lafay- 
ette proposed his well-known toast, which is especially interesting in 
view of the frightful condition in which Europe finds herself to-day. 
His words were: "Bunker Hill, and that holy resistance to oppression, 
which has already enfranchised the American hemisphere. The anni- 
versary toast at the jubilee of the next half century will be, to Europe 
freed." Mr. Thomas Upham, now living at 33*2 Commonwealth Ave- 
nue, was present when the corner-stone was laid ninety-one years ago. 

Daniel Webster later held a large reception for Lafayette, and in order 
to accommodate his many guests he cut a door into the adjoining house 
belonging to Israel Thorndike. The General also attended a recep- 
tion at the house of Mr. R. C. Derby, and he was there introduced 
to a lady with whom he had danced a minuet forty-seven years before. 
Dr. Bowditch describes how he determined to watch the procession 
from the steps of a house, and to his surprise found himself running 
along beside Lafayette's carriage yelling at the top of his voice. It was 
on Lafayette's visit the year before, in 1824, that he agreed to return to 
take part in the Bunker Hill celebration. As he passed the residence 
of the late John Hancock, Mayor Quincy turned to Lafayette and 
said that the widow of his deceased friend was sitting in the window 
opposite the carriage. He immediately turned and placed his hand 
on his heart, whereupon she burst into tears and said, "I have lived 
long enough." The words in the arch which was placed over Wash- 
ington Street expressed the deep feeling of love and veneration in 
which Lafayette was held by all Americans. The last two lines of 
the inscription were, — 

"We bow not the neck, and we bend not the knee; 
But our hearts, Lafayette, we surrender to thee." 

He also visited Governor Brooks at Medford. An arch over the 
meeting-house had on it the following: — 

"General Lafayette, Welcome to our Hills and Brooks." 

Lafayette said good-bye to Boston for the last time on June 22, 
1825, to go on a tour of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. As 
he left Mayor Quincy at the State line he kissed him. In describing 

[ 55 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

the parting to one of his friends of the fairer sex, she repHed, "If 
Lafayette had kissed me, I would never have washed my face again." 
The French refused to allow his American friends to erect a statue 
of him in Paris, but later the Government of France presented to New 
York his statue which now stands in Central Park. Lafayette died 
in 1834. This country should never forget that France emptied her 
arsenals and impoverished herself to help America. 

THE GRANITE RAILWAY COMPANY— THE FIRST 
RAILROAD IN AMERICA 

The Granite Railway was the first railroad built in America. The 
road was about three and one-half miles in length and ran from "fur- 
nace lot" and several of the quarries in Quincy through East Milton 
to a wharf which was built at an expense of $30,000 at the elbow 
in the Neponset River not far from Granite Bridge. This old wharf 
is still in existence and is used now by boys for swimming. The origin 
of the road is interesting. In 1824 Joshua Torrey of Quincy began to 
build a canal to save part of the long cartage for granite, and in the 
following year some enterprising citizens formed the Quincy Canal Cor- 
poration, which enabled small sloops to approach within a mile of the 
quarries in Quincy. Both of these enterprises, however, ended in 
failure. About this same time Gridley Bryant, a noted engineer in 
Boston, purchased, with Dr. John C. Warren, a stone quarry in 
Quincy, since called the Bunker Hill Quarry. Bryant and Colonel 
Thomas H. Perkins had heard of the possibility of the building of the 
Manchester and Liverpool Railroad in England and conceived the idea 
of starting the Granite Railway for the purpose of procuring large 
quantities of the excellent granite for the construction of Bunker 
Hill Monument. In spite of a great deal of opposition in the Legis- 
lature the Charter for the Granite Railway Company was obtained 
in March, 1826, the incorporators being Colonel Perkins, William 
Sullivan, Amos Lawrence, David Moody, Gridley Bryant, the builder 
of the road, and Solomon Willard, the architect of the monument. 
Many of the members of the Legislature quite naturally questioned 
the incorporators of the enterprise as to what they knew about rail- 
roads, wondering, at the same time, whether it was right to empower 
a corporation to purchase people's land for a project about which so 
little was known. It may be interesting to know that Amos Lawrence 
bought a quarry in Gloucester, believing that it might assist in build- 
ing the monument, in which he was much interested. There were, 
however, no facilities for transporting this granite, and this property 
was handed down through several generations of the family, until 
last year when it was sold by the executors of the estate of Amory 
A. Lawrence. The first cars passed over the Granite Railway Com- 
pany's Road on October 7, 1826, the train of several cars being drawn 
by horses. The gradual descent from Quincy to the water made it a 
simple matter to transport the granite, and the horses were easily 
able to drag the empty cars back. The road was operated by 
horse-power for forty years, then remained idle for a short time, and 
in 1871 was purchased by the Old Colony Railroad. The spur track 

[ 56 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

from the wharf to the Granite Branch was operated by oxen as 
late as 1899, when the Old Colony Railroad sent its first engine as far 
as the quarry. 

The road was constructed in the following manner: Its gauge 
was five feet, and stone sleepers were placed about eight feet apart. 
Upon these sleepers wooden rails six inches wide and twelve inches 
high were placed. Iron plates three inches wide and one-fourth of an 
inch thick were fastened with spikes to these rails. At all public 
crossings stone rails were used, upon which the iron plates were firmly 
bolted to the stone. In the course of a few years the wooden rails began 
to decay, and stone rails were substituted, the original sleepers being 






r 



K 



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■:/■: .s -v, K 



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4. 



Map showing location of the Granite Railway from Quinpy Quarries to Neponset River, 
an original print in the possession of the Qiiiney Historical Society. 



From 



used. On account of its construction the upkeep of the road for a 
good many years was less than ten dollars a year. Parts of the old 
road are still to be seen, and passing southerly over the route of the 
first railroad in America is seen one of the old railroad frogs and a 
section of the superstructure now standing at Squantum Street, East 
Milton, on the line of the Granite Branch of the New York, New Haven 
& Hartford Railroad. This frog and old stone rail were exhibited at 
the Chicago Fair. The capital of the enterprise was originally $100,000, 
which was later increased to $'-250,000. The cost was about $60,000 
per mile. In 1846 permission was given to the road to cross Granite 
Bridge and join a branch railroad about to be constructed from jNIilton 
village to the Old Colony Railroad, to be called the Dorchester & 
Milton Branch Railroad. The company was also authorized to 
construct branches not over one and one-half miles in length which 

[ 57 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

must be placed within half a mile of the quarry. Passengers were 
also allowed to be carried. The Company started solely as a railroad 
proposition, then purchased its own quarry in Quincy, and later 
another one in Concord, N.H. The contract to supply stones to the 
Bunker Hill Monument specified a charge of 50c. per ton for carrying 
the stone from the quarry to the wharf at Milton and an additional 
sum of 40c. for each ton conveyed from there to Charlestown. The 
railroad purchased the vessel Robin Hood in order to carry out the 
latter part of this contract. 

Every share of stock was bought up by Colonel Perkins, and when 
he died in 1854 his holdings were sold to several individuals who con- 
tinued to work the quarries with great profit until 1864 when the 
stock again changed hands. In 1870 the officers and directors were: 
President, John S. Tyler; Vice-President, John C. Pratt; Treasurer, 



» -'> 



i 







Train of cars on the Granite Railway, anil Railway Hotel. From an original print in the 
possession of the Quincy Historical Society. 

George Lewis; the Directors being Benjamin Bradley, John Felt Os- 
good, William B. Sewall, John D. Parker, and the Treasurer, George 
Lewis. Mr. Henry E. Sheldon, who only recently died in East Milton, 
was the General Manager from 1876 to 1898. 

Some of the later directors of the Company were Harold J. Coolidge, 
W. S. Patten, and Dr. John A. Lamson. Luther S. Anderson, of 
Quincy, assumed the management of the Company in April, 1899, and 
in 1907 he was appointed treasurer, which office, together with that 
of manager, he held until his death in September, 1914. Many im- 
portant changes in the plant were made during his term of office, so 
that, at his death, it was accounted the most valuable quarry property 
in Quincy. Under the present officers the same progressive methods 
are being pursued. At this time Henry M. Faxon, of Quincy, is 
president and treasurer; Charles E. Morey, of Boston, vice-president; 
Stillman P. Williams, Henry H. Kimball, and Alva Morrison, directors. 

Quincy granite was, and is, well known, and many important build- 
ings have been built of this material, including the old Boston Custom 

[ 58 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

House, the old Tremont House, the old Astor House in New York, 
Boston City Hall, the old Horticultural Hall, the old Equitable Life 
Assurance Society Building in New York, as well as several buildings 
belonging to prominent insurance companies in Hartford, Conn., 
and also the New Orleans Custom House. Before 1800 the quarries 
were ^^'orked very little. 

MAYOR THEODORE LYMAN PROTECTS WILLIAM LLOYD 
GARRISON FROM THE MOB 

William Lloyd Garrison would undoubtedly have been ducked in 
the "Frog Pond," and might have lost his life, had not Theodore 
Lyman, who was Mayor of Boston at the time, held a mob at bay 
long enough to enable the great anti-slavery agitator to escape. 

A meeting of the Female Anti-Slavery Society was arranged for 
October ^1, 1835, at the office of the Liberator, which was Garrison's 
newspaper. It was believed that George Thompson, a Scotch aboli- 
tionist, was going to speak, and on the morning of the day of the 
meeting anonymous handbills were distributed announcing that the 
"infamous foreigner" intended to "hold forth," and calling upon 
the citizens to "snake him out." A purse of one hundred dollars was 
offered to the man "who would first lay violent hands on Thompson, 
so that he may be brought to the tar-kettle before dark." Mayor 
Lyman therefore sent a messenger to Mr. Garrison to find out whether 
the objectionable Thompson was going to put in an appearance, and 
learning that he was not even in Boston he consequently took no 
unusual precautions to prevent disturbance. There was, however, a 
large crowd in front of the Liberator office, and only about thirty 
women were able to force their way into the hall. 

The Mayor was soon told that it looked as if there would be a riot, 
and he therefore went to the lecture room with more constables. 

Thousands of people in the street cried for "Thompson! Thompson!" 
The ^layor promptly assured them that he was not even in Boston, 
and begged them to disperse, but their vengeance turned on Garrison, 
with shouts of "We must have Garrison! Out with him! Lynch 
him!" The Mayor with a few police officers held the staircase and 
kept the mob back. He then went upstairs and induced the women 
to leave the hall, and the next step he took was to persuade Garrison 
to escape by the rear passage of the building. While the sign of the 
Society was being torn down and destroyed. Garrison got out of the 
rear window onto a shed from which he entered a carpenter's shop 
in hopes of being able to get into Wilson's Lane. Unfortunately he 
was discovered by the crowd and had to hide in a corner behind a 
pile of boards. Several of the rioters again found him and dragged 
him to a window with the intention of hurling him to the ground. 
Some one relented, however, and suggested that they "shouldn't kill 
him outright." A rope was tied around his body, and he was lowered 
down a ladder into the hands of the angry mob. A friendly voice 
yelled, "He shan't be hurt! He is an American!" which seemed 
somewhat to calm the crowd, who dragged him in his shirt sleeves 
through Wilson's Lane into State Street, in the rear of City Hall, 

[ 59 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

then the Old State House, shouting, "To the Common! To the 
Frog Pond with him!" Garrison was rescued and taken by the Mayor 
and the City authorities into the City's rooms in the Old State House, 
where he was supplied with new pantaloons, coat, stock, cap, etc. 
Here Mayor Lyman again defied the crowd, declaring that the Law must 
be maintained, and furthermore that he would lay down his life on 
the spot to preserve order. He then made an address to the people 
outside. After careful deliberation it was decided that the only 
safe place for Garrison was the jail, and therefore with his consent 
he was considered a rioter and ordered by Sheriff Parkman to the 
Leverett Street jail. The rioters followed the carriage, but the driver 
had a good pair of horses and a long whip which enabled him to elude 
his pursuers, who tried to hold on to the horses and the wheels of 
the carriage, and even tried to cut the traces and reins and to pull 
Garrison out of the window. The Mayor ran on foot and arrived 
just before the hack. It was said that Garrison thoroughly appreciated 
this happy contrivance, meaning the prison, and in a public meeting he 
jokingly said that he was never so glad to get into a jail in his life. 

At this time Boston really had no police, only about thirty night 
watchmen and six day watchmen. It can be readily seen what a 
difficult task the Mayor had in quelling the riot without bloodshed. 
A gallows had been erected in front of Garrison's door, and it was 
therefore thought advisable to guard his house that night. 

THE FIRST ETHER OPERATION 

The "Death of Pain," so called by Dr. Weir Mitchell, took place 
on October 16, 1846, when the first public operation was performed 
with the aid of ether. The credit for this discovery, which was the 
greatest gift of American medicine to mankind, belongs chiefly to 
Dr. W. T. G. Morton, though others doubtless deserve some credit. 
Dr. Crawford W. Long of Georgia holds the honor of making the 
first trial of ether inhalation in surgical operations; and Dr. Horace 
Wells, a dentist of Hartford, and once a partner of Dr. Morton, a 
few years later administered gas while extracting teeth. Dr. Wells 
at one time journeyed to Boston to exhibit his discovery, but the 
result was such a failure that the poor dentist returned to Hartford 
and died suddenly while experimenting with chloroform. 

Dr. Morton's life is most varied and interesting. He was born 
near Worcester in 1819, but, being obliged to leave school early in 
life, he moved to Boston, where he entered a publishing house. His 
partners duped him, and he then determined to study dentistry in 
Baltimore. Previous to his discovery patients w^ere given brandy, 
laudanum, and even opium in some cases. Occasionally mesmerism 
was tried with doubtful results. Usually, however, surgeons relied 
upon their own strength to hold down the patient, often using pulleys 
to set the limb. Dr. Morton at once realized the relief that the 
application of ether would be to dentistry, and he gave his whole 
time to the study of medicine and different gases at the Massachusetts 
General Hospital. He soon established a "tooth mill" to manu- 
facture artificial teeth, and this plant was supposed to "supply teeth 

[ 61 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

which would rival those of the freshest country beauties." He gave up 
a lucrative business and valuable clients, such as William Ropes, 
Alexander H. Ladd, of Portsmouth, Andrew Robeson, Mrs. Charles 
T. Jackson, and others, to further his investigation. His first experi- 
ment was upon his dog, and was so successful that he jocosely told his 
friend, Dr. Hayden, and his lawyer, R. H. Dana, Jr., that soon he 
should have his "patients come in at one door, having all their teeth 
extracted without pain, and then, going into the next room, have a full 
set put in." A short time later while again etherizing his dog the 
animal struck his ether bottle and broke it. Morton placed his 
handkerchief over the broken bottle and then holding it to his nostrils 




Room in Massachusetts General Hospital arranged as it was when the first ether operation was 
performed. It is in this room that the anniversary exercises are held each year. 

soon became unconscious. He was so encouraged that he then began 
to hunt around the wharves for a person who would submit to a test, 
but he discovered that while they would gladly render themselves un- 
conscious with bad rum, they could not be bribed to take ether. His 
next step was to use gas in extracting a tooth for Eben H. Frost, at his 
office at No. 19 Tremont Row, now Tremont Street, opposite the old 
Museum, on September 30, 1846. This experiment was so successful 
that he asked permission of Dr. John C. Warren, then senior surgeon at 
the Massachusetts General Hospital, to administer his ether there. 
Dr. Warren had a patient named Gilbert Abbott who was suffering 
from tumor of the jaw, and he allowed Dr. Morton to etherize him. 
The operation was performed on October 16, 1846, and was entirely 
successful. Dr. Morton was unavoidably detained and arrived 

[ 62 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

at the hospital just as Dr. Warren was about to perform the operation 
without ether, the hitter thinking Dr. Morton did not dare make the 
experiment. Dr. Warren's first words when the operation was over 
were, "Gentlemen, this is no humbug." 

The discovery was then disclosed to the world, through Dr. Warren's 
efforts and the assistance rendered to Dr. Morton by the hospital. 
Dr. Warren wrote, "A new era has opened on the operating sur- 
geon," and Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes in a lecture said in part, "The 
fierce extremity of suffering has been steeped in the waters of forget- 
fulness and the deepest furrow in the knotted brow of agony has been 
smoothed forever." Dr. Holmes also coined the word "ansesthesia." 

About a week after this successful trial at the hospital, Dr. Charles 
T. Jackson, a chemist, demanded a percentage of the profits derived 
from the sale of the ether or the patents. Much space could be 
devoted to the quarrel between these two doctors and to Dr. Mor- 
ton's repeated attempts to get his invention patented. Ether was 
used so generally that Dr. Morton finally called himself "the only 
person in the world to whom this discovery has so far been a pecuniary 
loss." In 1848 the Trustees of the Massachusetts General Hospital 
and other citizens presented him, as the true discoverer, with $1,000. 
He figured his profits due to the discovery at $1,600 and his expenses 
at $187,561. During his controversy with Dr. Jackson, some one 
suggested that the only way of settling the dispute would be to have 
a duel between the two belligerents with ether bottles, and he who 
remained conscious the longer should be declared the winner. Several 
times a bill very nearly went through Congress carrying an appro- 
priation of $100,000. Dr. Morton spent the latter years of his life 
on his farm in Wellesley, which he called "Etherton," the Wellesley 
Public Library being to-day on part of his place. He died of apoplexy 
while driving in Central Park, New York, and although he died a poor 
and unsuccessful man, never does a day go by without his discovery 
bringing joy to suffering humanity. Exercises are held at the Massa- 
chusetts General Hospital every year on the 16th of October to com- 
memorate this discovery. 

A monument, the gift of Thomas Lee of Boston, in the Public 
Garden near the head of Marlboro Street, was erected to the dis- 
coverer of ether, and the inscription reads as follows: — 

To COMMEMORATE 

the discovery 

that the inhaling of ether 

causes insensibility to pain. 

First proved to the world 

AT THE Massachusetts General Hospital 

October 16, 1846. 

It has often been asked why Dr. Morton's name wasn't on the 
monument. It certainly should be. Dr. Holmes said that the in- 
scription should read to "Either." 



[ 63 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

THE "JAMESTOWN" EXPEDITION TO IRELAND 

New England came promptly to the assistance of famine-stricken 
Ireland in 1847, and by generous contributions was able partially to 
repay that country's kindness in sending food in 1676 to our starving 
Puritans in Massachusetts. A mass meeting was held in Faneuil 
Hall, where Edward Everett made a speech wliich was largely respon- 
sible for arousing the interest of New England in this enterprise. It 
was Everett's father who was usually known as "Boston's Yard Stick"; 
he was so learned and stood so high in the esteem of Bostonians that 
all other citizens were measured by and compared with his standard. 
Soon after this meeting a petition signed by prominent men was sent 
to Congress asking for the loan of a vessel, and although this country 
was at war with Mexico, nevertheless the United States man-of- 
war Jamestown was offered by the Government free of expense, 
Robert C. Winthrop, our representative in Washington, being largely 
responsible for procuring the ship. The Constitution was at one time 
considered. The Boston Relief Committee was composed of Josiah 
Quincy, Jr., mayor of the city, P. T. Jackson, Thomas Lee, David 
Henshaw, J. K. Mills, G. W. Crockett, and J. Ingersoll Bowditch, 
who acted as treasurer of the fund. The command of the Jamestown 
was intrusted to Captain Robert Bennet Forbes, and it was the first 
time that a civilian had ever been chosen to command a United 
States ship-of-war. He used to say that he "was born to eat bad 
pudding off the Cape of Good Hope." He first went to sea in 1817 
at the age of thirteen years, with a Bible, a Bowditch navigator, a 
"ditty bag," and a box of gingersnaps, which the cabin boy stole the 
first night out. The Jamestown was prepared for sea by Commodore 
F. A. Parker at the Charlestown Navy Yard, and curiously enough the 
loading of the supplies was begun on St. Patrick's day. The La- 
borer's Aid Society, composed of poor Irishmen, offered their services 
free in placing the provisions on board, and in a few days 800 tons 
or about 8,000 barrels of grain, meal, etc., were stored in the hold. 
Massachusetts furnished $115,000 worth of food, of which Boston's 
share was $52,000, while other New England States gave $36,000. 
The ship put to sea on the 28th of March, the tug boat R.B.F., with 
the Relief Committee and other friends on board, escorting down 
the harbour the "Ship of Peace" as she was called on this trip. She 
arrived at Cork on April 12, having made the voyage in the extraor- 
dinarily quick time of fifteen days, only one tack having been made 
on the entire voyage. There was much enthusiasm as the Jamestown 
and her valuable cargo moved up the harbour, a band on shore in 
the mean while playing "Yankee Doodle." The chairman of the 
reception committee of Cork said in his address that "a thousand 
lips pale with woe, and a thousand tongues half paralyzed with hunger, 
uttered the feeble exclamation, 'God Bless America.'" During the 
evening bonfires blazed from every hill, and most of the houses were 
illuminated from top to bottom. William Rathbone, a well-known 
Liverpool merchant, came over to Ireland to superintend the dis- 
tribution of the cargo. The gratitude of the Irish people was un- 
bounded, and the dinners and receptions given to the officers of the 

[ 65 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

Jamestown were too numerous to mention — Whigs and Tories, Con- 
servatives and Repealers, Catholics and Protestants, all paying them 
their respects. Many of the children born in Ireland at this time 
were called Boston, Forbes or James, the latter an abbreviation, of 
course, of Jamestoivn. 

One of the foremost of the Relief Committee in Cork was Father 
Theobald Mathew, who was one of the best known men in Ireland; 
he was of great assistance to the officers of the Jamestown in distrib- 
uting the supplies. The citizens of Cork presented to our President a 
flag of Irish manufacture, emblazoned with the arms of the United 
States, but up to the time of writing its whereabouts had not been dis- 
covered. Also a valuable silver tray was given to the captain of the 
Jamestown as well as a painting of the ship entering Cork Harbour. 
The Government of the United States levied a duty of $75 against 
the owner of the platter when it was brought to America. These 
mementos now belong to one of the family. A banner was also sent 
to the city of Boston. While visiting a Mr. Jeffries near Blarney 
Castle, Captain Forbes was presented with a cow, which was shipped 
home. She was with calf, and her progeny was known for many years 
as the Jamestown breed. The last of this stock died about twelve 
years ago at Owls Nest Farm, Framingham, the home of Robert Forbes 
Perkins, Esq. 

In forty-nine days the Jamestown arrived in Boston, and was turned 
over to the Government. While at the dock the New England Relief 
Committee attended a lunch on board, and the provisions served 
consisted of mutton and poultry which had been stored on board 
previous to sailing fifty-one days before. 

The Jamestown served as a hospital ship until a few years ago, 
when she was condemned as being too old for service. Her wheel, 
which was procured through the assistance of Hon. George von L. 
Meyer, when Secretary of the Navy, hangs on the wall of the house 
of one of the descendants of "Commodore" Forbes. 

The Macedonian was sent from New York, as well as several other 
ships from Maine. The Pendletons, a sea-faring family, of Islesboro, 
Maine, also sent several vessels during the 1847 famine. Great difficulty 
was encountered in getting a return cargo, and finally it was decided 
to fill the hold with sods, which were placed on some of the farms 
in Islesboro. It was discovered some time ago that upon this earth 
had grown a large number of real Irish shamrocks, which are still 
alive and which serve as a memento of the part that Maine played 
during the famine. 

The Boston Post wrote at the time the Jamestown was about to 
sail, that "this vessel is associated with one of the noblest charities 
on record"; and on her arrival the Cork Advertiser spoke of the under- 
taking as the "noblest offering that nation ever made to nation." This 
expedition was very similar to those undertaken recently by the Bel- 
gian relief committee. 



[ 66 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

COLONEL ROBERT G. SHAW LEADS HIS NEGRO 
REGIMENT TO THE WAR 

When Colonel Shaw led his coloured regiment, the 54th, past the 
State House before Governor Andrew and then to the steamer at 
Battery Wharf, thousands of people turned out to cheer "the fugitive 
slave transformed into a soldier by authority of a liberty-loving State," 
as expressed by Mayor Quincy in his address at the dedication of the 
Shaw monument. Governor Andrew believed that a negro regiment 
ought to be formed and that it would give a good account of itself 
— and it did. Many of the states had denied them to be "human 
persons," and the southern leaders frequently alluded to them as 
"this peculiar kind of property." Colonel Shaw had served as a 
private in the 7th Regiment of New York and was a commissioned 
officer in the 2nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry when 
he received a telegram from Governor Andrew asking him to take 
command of the first coloured regiment to be sent to the front. He 
rode over with Colonel Charles Morse to the camp of the 1st Massa- 
chusetts Cavalry and told his friends Major Higginson and Greely 
Curtis of his new commission. He also added that if either of his 
two comrades would take his place he would serve under him. Colonel 
Shaw joined the regiment at Readville in 1863, was married in May 
and sailed for South Carolina the last of the same month. The regi- 
ment and its brave leader were given the chance to assault Fort 
Wagner on July 18th of the same year. A gallant attack was made, 
but the garrison was fully prepared and successfully defended the 
position. The coloured troops reached the walls of the fort, and 
Colonel Shaw was shot through the heart and killed while actually 
standing on the ramparts. His last words from the parapet were, 
"Forward, 54th," and then he fell. The battle lasted two hours, and 
regiment after regiment was beaten back; the 54th lost two-thirds of 
its officers and about half its men. The Confederates buried Colonel 
Shaw and his dead negroes in the same trench, which was a fitting end 
for this officer, who gave his life to help the Union and the cause 
of the negro. General Thomas G. Stevenson, who later in the war also 
lost his life, was in command of the field on the night after the assault, 
and he ordered all the wounded negro troops brought inside the lines 
before the white soldiers, fearing that the former might receive ill 
treatment from the Southerners. Colonel Edward Hallowell and 
Colonel N. P. Hallowell, who died only recently, were at one time 
officers of this same regiment. 

The capture of Fort Wagner was practically an impossibility, and, 
as was afterwards proved, the attack was unnecessary. This gallant 
charge, however, to use the words of Major Henry L. Higginson, 
proved that "the negroes had won their places as brave, steady 
soldiers," and, as Governor Wolcott said in his address at the unveiling 
of the Shaw monument in 1897, it showed "that whatever the colour 
of the skin, the blood that flowed in the veins of the coloured man was 
red with the lusty hue of manhood and of heroism." The 54th 
served throughout the war and was reviewed by Governor Andrew at 
the State House steps on its return to Boston. 

[ 67 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

The dedication of the St. Gaudens monument opposite the State 
House is so recent as to be remembered by ahnost every Bostonian. 
The prime mover in building this memorial was Joshua B. Smith, 
a fugitive slave, who was in the service of Colonel Shaw's family and 
later a well-known caterer in Boston. Edward Atkinson was treas- 
urer of the first committee, which was a large one. The second 
and most active committee comprised only three men, John M. 
Forbes, Henry Lee and Martin P. Kennard. H. H. Richardson was 
the architect chosen, and on his death Charles F. McKim took his 
place. George von L. Meyer, who was then an alderman of the city, 
obtained an appointment for the construction of the terrace and 
stone work, Arthur Rotch having suggested the place where the 
monument now stands. Addresses were made in Music Hall by 
Colonel Francis H. Appleton, who acted as Chief Marshal, Governor 
Wolcott, Mayor Quincy, Professor William James, — whose brother 
was wounded at Fort Wagner, — Colonel Henry Lee and Booker T. 
Washington, who had been given an honorary degree the year before 
by Harvard University. Colonel N. P. Hallowell, who commanded 
the 55th negro regiment in the war, led the battalion of survivors, 
and, as the statue was unveiled, Battery A fired salutes on the Com- 
mon, and the New York, Massachusetts and Texas fired their guns in 
the harbour. The two features of the parade were the 7th Regiment 
of New York, with which Colonel Shaw first went to the front in 
1861, and the members of the coloured 54th. The verse of James 
Russell Lowell on the monument tells us how Colonel Shaw met his 
end. 

"Right in the van on the red ramparts' slippery swell 
With heart that beat a charge he fell foeward as fits a man; 
But the high soul burns on to light men's feet 
Where death for noble ends makes dying sweet." 

The inscription composed by Charles W. Eliot, as well as Major 
Higginson's address in Sanders Theatre, should be read by every 
patriotic citizen. 

St. Gaudens worked twelve years on this great work, but he must 
have been fully repaid for his labors by the words of Colonel Shaw's 
mother — "You have immortalized my native city, you have im- 
mortalized my dear son, you have immortalized yourself." 

RETURN OF THE FLAGS TO THE STATE HOUSE 

The return of the colours to the State House on Forefathers' Day, 
December 2'2, 1865, two hundred and forty-five years after the anni- 
versary of the landing of the Pilgrims, was a most impressive cere- 
mony. By an order of the War Department the volunteer regiments 
and batteries, when mustered out, deposited their colours with Colonel 
Francis N. Clarke, U.S.A., who was chief mustering officer. Major 
General Darius N. Couch was the commanding General, with his 
headquarters on Boston Common, and the flags were turned over to 
him by Colonel Clarke. The colour bearers left their regiments and 
batteries as they marched past the State House, and grouped them- 
selves on the steps near Governor Andrew, the "War Governor" of 

[ 68 ] 



so:me interesting boston events 

Massacliusetts. The Rev. Samuel K. Lotlirop offered the prayer. 
The Governor then received the c()h)urs, which were phiced in Doric 
Hall, and in 1900 removed to their present j)osition.s in Memorial 
Hall. There are now in the collection .'505 flags of the Civil War, not 
counting the twenty-one flags of the volunteer regiments and Naval 
Brigade of Massachusetts which had been carried in the Sj)anish 



:/i 




"The Return of the Battle Flags," from a painting by Edward Simmons, made from a Cop- 
ley Print. The painting is on the north side of the Hall of Flags in the State House. Copyright 
by Edward Simmons; from a Copley Print, copyright by Curtis & Cameron, and printed by 
their kind permission. 

War and which are in a case by themselves near the Hall. The 
late Governor Guild always took a great interest in Memorial Hall, 
which he always referred to, and which is often known, as the 
Hall of Flags. It was quite in keeping that he should be the first 
Governor to lie in state here. The histories of the flags, if they could 
have been told by their standard bearers, would be of great interest, 
and would occupy many volumes. There are no captured flags in 
the State House. 

[ 69 ] 



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SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

DICKENS' INTERNATIONAL WALKING MATCH 

When Charles Dickens was in Boston on his second visit in 1868 he 
and three of his friends got up a walking match about which few people 
know. Dickens had not been sleeping well, and so George Dolby, 
an Englishman, who was planning Dickens' lecture tour, and James R. 
Osgood, who was his travelling companion while in America, deter- 
mined to amuse the distinguished writer by arranging this interna- 
tional contest. Dickens and James T. Fields were the umpires, and 
one of the conditions of the contest was that these two should start 
from the first tree on the Mill Dam Road and walk towards Newton 
Centre for an hour and a half, and later when the real match took 
place it was agreed that Dickens should stand at this point in the 
middle of the road and act as the turning mark for the two contest- 
ants. "Boz" paced the course at such a clip that Fields became 
exhausted and had to sit down on a doorstep in Newton Centre and 
eat oranges, which Dickens said was the only kind of refreshment 
except a bottle of blacking that could then be purchased in that 
village. Dickens drew up the articles of agreement, which were 
signed by Dolby, Osgood, Fields and himself. The match was for 
"two hats and the glory of their respective countries." 

The "Sporting Narrative," also written by him, gives an account of 
the match and describes how Osgood, the Boston Bantam, won a 
decisive victory over Dolby, the Englishman, after walking over 
the thirteen mile course on a cold, snowy day in February. Dickens 
describes his countryman as " a thought and a half too fleshy and if 
he accidentally sat down upon his baby, would do it to the tune of four- 
teen stone." Dickens further added that "the Bantam showed unex- 
pected endurance and (like the sailor's watch that did three hours to the 
Cathedral clock's one) unexpected powers of going when wound up." 
Dolby attributed his defeat to the fact that Mrs. Fields followed 
his rival the last part of the way and "supplied him continuously with 
bread soaked in brandy." The time of the match was two hours and 
forty-eight minutes. Dickens gave a dinner that night at the Parker 
House, which was a very jolly occasion, and some of the guests were 
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Eliot Norton, Mr. and Mrs. James Russell 
Lowell, Dr. and Mrs. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Mr. and Mrs. Ticknor, 
Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich, "an obscure poet, named Longfellow," as 
Dickens expressed it, and others. Bostonians loved Charles Dickens, 
who in return always referred to Boston as "his American home." 

During this visit he gave his readings in Tremont Temple. The 
sale of tickets took place at the store of Ticknor & Fields, 12 Tremont 
Street, and lasted eleven hours, some $2 admissions selling as high as 
$26. Throughout the night there was a line along Tremont Street 
for half a mile, some of the eager buyers bringing mattresses, food 
and drinks. In New York his readings were fully as popular. It was 
noticed that the people at the head of the ticket line wore caps and 
were quickly spotted as speculators. A rule was therefore passed 
at once that no tickets should be sold to any buyer with a cap. Hats 
were procured at large prices from onlookers, and the front row seat 
tickets all turned up as usual in the hands of speculators. 

[ 72 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

Dickens' first visit to America was in 1842. At this time the Bos- 
tonian's idea of hospitahty consisted of an invitation to occupy a 
place in the family pew at church, and Dickens said that he was 
offered as many sittings as would have accommodated many large 
families. There is even a story, not credited to Dickens, of a IJostonian 
who had l)een entertained very cordially in Europe; his former hostess 
came to IJoston and received from her former guest an invitation to 
call at his house after tea and then go to church! Boston has long 
since lived down the reputation she used to have of being cold to 
strangers. Dickens came over in the Britannia on his first trip, and 
in the C^iba the last time. 

The following bright verses were written and sung by Joseph M. 
Field at a dinner given to Dickens in Boston on February 1, 1842: — 

THE WERY LAST OBSERWATIONS OF WELLER, SENIOR 

Remember wot I says, Boz, 

You're goin' to cross the Sea; 
A blessed vay avays, Boz, 

To wild Amerikey; 
A blessed set of savages. 

As books of travels tells; 
No Guv'nor's eye to watch you, Boz, 

Nor even Samivel's. 

They've 'stablish'd a steam line, Boz, 

A wi'lent innowation! 
It's nothing but a trap, to 'tice 

Our floatin' population; 
A set of blessed cannibals — 

My warnin' I repeats: — 
For ev'ry vun they catches, Boz, 

Without ado they eats! 

They'll eat you, Boz, in Boston! and 

They'll eat you in New-York: 
Wherever caught, they'll play a bles- 

-sed game of knife and fork! 
There's prayers in Boston, now, that Cu- 

-nard's biler may not burst; 
Because their savage hope it is. 

Dear Boz, to eat you first! 

They lately caught a Prince, Boz, 

A livin' vun, from France; 
And all the blessed nation, Boz, 

Assembles for a dance! 
They spares him thro' the ev'nin', Boz, 

But with a hungry stare; 
Contrives a early supper, tho'. 

And then they eats him there! 

Lord how they gobbled "Pickwick" — fate 

Which "Oliver" befel: 
And watering mouths met "Nic," and "Smike," 

And watering eyes as well; 

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SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

Poor "Nell" was not too tender, Boz, 

Nor ugly "Quilp" too tough; 
And "Barnaby" — and blest if e'er 

I thinks they'll hav^e enough! 

I'll tell you wot you does, Boz, 

Since go it seems you vill; 
If you vould not expose, Boz, 

Yourself their maws to fill; 
Just "Marryatt," or "Trollope," Boz, 

Within your pockets hem; 
For blow me if I ever thinks 

They'll ever swallow them ! 

FIRST TELEPHONE MESSAGE IN BOSTON 

"Mr. Watson, please come here, I want you," were the first words 
sent over a telephone. Professor Alexander Graham Bell made 
this remark to Thomas A. Watsr i at No. 5 Exeter Place, Boston, 
on that memorable day, March 10, 1876. Had he realized that this 
sentence would be handed down to the world he would undoubtedly 
have thought out a message as fitting as were the first words that 
were sent over the Morse Telegraph, which were, "What has God 
wrought?" 

The details leading up to this event are most interesting. Pro- 
fessor Bell was a teacher of deaf mutes at Boston University, and 
was special instructor of the deaf grandson of Mrs. George Sanders 
of Salem at whose house he resided for several years, during which time 
he did much experimenting. The house stood on the site of the 
present Y. M. C. A. building. At this time he was interested in the 
"harmonic telegraph," and he asked Thomas A. Watson to help him 
make certain parts of the mechanism. Mr. Watson was an elec- 
trician in Charles Williams' workshop at 109 Court Street, Boston, and 
received a splendid training under him. Watson said that most of 
the inventors had an "angel" whom they hypnotized into paying their 
bills. One of the experiments at this shop was with a new electric 
engine, and it was arranged that nitric acid was to be poured into 
the iron tanks to generate the electric current. The acid was poured 
in, and the inventor, "angel" and workman had a race to see who 
could get out of the shop first. Mr. Watson frankly admits that he 
won, as he was "first away." 

The "harmonic telegraph" was not a success; had it been, the 
telephone might not have been invented for some years. It was 
while working on the telegraph that Professor Bell conceived the 
idea of the telephone, and he and Watson at once set to work on this 
invention. A wire connecting two rooms was set up in the upper 
story of Williams' office, which was still at 109 Court Street. While 
experimenting, Bell, who was at one end of the wire, suddenly shouted 
out to his fellow worker at the other end of the line, "Don't change 
anything." He had heard the first sound ever transmitted by tele- 
phone. This was on June 2, 1875. The faint sound that Bell had 
heard meant that the speaking telephone was at that moment born. 

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SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

Air. Watson was present when the picture shown below was taken, 
and he very kindly explained where he and Professor Bell stood when 
the first sound was heard. These two inventors then ran a wire down 
two flights of stairs in their building, and this was "the first telej)lione 
line" ever put up. The building where these tests were made is still 
standing, the lower floor being occupied by a theatre. Then followed 
on March 10 of the following year the first sentence ever spoken over a 
telephone, which we have described. Bell's telephone was exhibited at 
the Philadelphia Exposition in 1876. Progress was rapid, and on 
October 9, 1876, Mr. Watson wrote that "we are ready to take the 




Attic of Williams' workshop where the first sound was heard over a telephone. Professor Bell 
stood on one side of the post, and Professor Watson on the other side, each being in a small room 
at the time. 

baby out doors for the first time." The private wire of the Walworth 
Manufacturing Company running between Boston and Cambridge 
was loaned for this test. Bell's voice came across the wire, "Ahoy, 
Ahoy!" and the first "long distance" connection began. The word 
"Ahoy" has now given place to "Hello." The whole conversation 
appeared in the Advertiser the next morning, and the report made a 
tremendous sensation. Bell and Watson danced a war dance at their 
rooms at 5 Exeter Place, and their landlady, who did not appreciate 
their new discovery, ordered them to leave if they ever again made such 
a noise. Watson's old teacher, Moses G. Farmer, called on them 
within a few days and declared he ought to have made the discovery, 
and added that "if Bell had known anything about electricity he 
would never have invented the telephone." 

[ 75 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

The first permanent telephone line was installed between Mr. 
Williams' office on Court Street and his house in Somerville. The 
first newspaper report transmitted by telephone was sent by Henry 
M. Batchelder in Salem to the Boston Globe on February 12, 1877. 
Gardiner G. Hubbard, Professor Bell's father-in-law, and Thomas 
Sanders, Treasurer of the Company, were staunch backers of the 




CI 



-,-^j=»'A'^'Wv^ i\'?^^\V\\v':v;^>5§::J^#il \&^- 



The first telephone message was heard in the upper story of this building, now occupied by 
the New Palace Theatre, 109 Court Street. 

enterprise. Hubbard offered the Bell patents to the Western Union 
Telegraph Company. The offer was rejected, and two years later these 
same patents were worth $25,000,000. Professor Bell began to lect- 
ure in 1877, his first appearance being at the Essex Institute in Salem. 
Oliver Wendell Holmes and Henry W. Longfellow were among those 
who signed a request for lectures in Boston. Bell lectured while 
Watson on the other end of the wire talked, sang and shouted. 
Mr. Watson said that never before had such poor singing been received 
with such tremendous applause. On one occasion Watson at Middle- 

[ 76 ] 



SOME INTERESTING BOSTON EVENTS 

town, Conn., talked at the same time to New Haven and Hartford, but 
the songs didn't come in at the right time during the lecture. These 
demonstrations stirred up a great demand for telephones, and the public 
was ready for the telephone long before the inventors were ready for 
the public. 

The automatic switch, the switchboard, and the Blake transmitter, 
invented by Francis Blake, did a great deal to perfect the telephone. 
Mr. Watson mentions his excitement when the company hired its 
first book-keeper, Robert W. Devonshire, then Thomas D. Lockwood 
as lawyer, and George W. Pierce as Watson's private clerk, who 
remained in the employ of the company until January 1, 1914, when 
he was retired. Mr. Devonshire is now Vice-President, and Mr. 
Lockwood Patent Attorney, of the Company. Mr. Watson writes 
that "David had hit Goliath squarely in the forehead with a rock 
labelled Patent No. 174,465," winning a decision over the W^estern 
Union Telegraph. 

Mr. Theodore N. Vail, President of the American Telephone & 
Telegraph Company, in his 1914 report mentions that when Professor 
Bell and Mr. Watson talked between New York and San Francisco 
they could hear each other more clearly than when they held their 
first conversation in two rooms of the same building, the old telephone 
instruments being used for the later test. The Boston-San Francisco 
line of 3,505 miles was opened on January 25, 1915. The Bell System 
in the United States has 8,648,993 stations, a wire mileage of 17,475,594 
miles, and an average of 27,848,000 calls per day. The gross revenue 
for 1914 was $226,000,000. 

President Vail in his report says that "it is a long step from a 
hardly intelligible telephonic conversation between two rooms to a 
perfectly easy, low voiced conversation between the extremes of our 
land, East, West, North and South." 



Over 



L 77 ] 



AUTHORITIES 

Among the authorities consulted in the preparation of this brochure, 
and to whom the author desires to acknowledge his indebtedness, are 
the following: 

GENERAL REFERENCES 

The Memorial History of Boston, by Justin Winsor. 

History of Boston, by Samuel G. Drake. 

History of Boston, by Caleb H. Snow. 

Romantic Days in the Early Republic, by Mary C. Crawford. 

Old Boston in Colonial Days, by Mary C. Crawford. 

Social Life in Old New England, by Mary C. Crawford. 

Old Boston Days and Ways, by Mary C. Crawford. 

Dealings with the Dead, by Lucius M. Sargent. 

New England Legends and Folk Lore, by S. A. Drake. 

Old Boston Boys, by James d'Wolf Lovett. 

Old Landmarks and Historic Personages, by S. A. Drake. 

Figures of the Past, by Josiah Quincy. 

Boston, by M. A. DeWolfe Howe. 

Historic Towns, by Henry Cabot Lodge. 

Curiosities of History, by William W. Wheildon. 

Boston Events, by Edward H. Savage. 

Memoirs of a Hundred Years, Edward Everett Hale. 

SPECIAL REFERENCES 

The Makers of Maine, by Herbert Edgar Holmes. 

Nooks and Corners of the New England Coast, by S. A. Drake. 

William Blackstone, by Thomas C. Amory. 

Merry Mount, by Motley. 

Curious Punishments of Bygone Days, by Alice Morse Earle. 

Strange and Curious Punishments, by Henry W. Brooks. 

Ignominious Punishments and the Massachusetts Currency, by A. McFarland Davis. 

Beacon Hill, The Beacon and the Monument, by W. W. Wheildon. 

Sentry or Beacon Hill — The Beacon Monument, by W. W. Wheildon. 

The State House, by Ellen Mudge Burrill. 

Gov. Winthrop's Journal. 

History of Harvard University, by Josiah Quincy. 

The College in Early Days, by A. McFarland Davis. 

The Laws of Harvard College, by Josephus Willard, 1795. 

Boston Common, by Samuel Barker. 

Early Days on Boston Common, by Mary Farwell Ayer. 

A Brief History of the Old North Church. 

Christ Church, by C. K. Bolton. 

Historical Account of Christ Church, by Rev. Henry Burroughs. 

Curiosities of the Lottery, by Henry M. Brooks. 

Tales of Province House, by Hawthorne. 

First and Second Banks of the United States, by National Monetary Commission. 

Money and Banking, by Horace White. 

A Sketch of the Tour of General Lafayette, by John Foster. 

Lafayette in America in 183J, and 1825, by A. Levasseur. 

History of the Granite Railway Co., by Alfred Mudge and Son. 

History of the Toiun of Quincy, by George Whitney. 

The Garrison Mob, by Theodore Lyman, 3rd. 

Trials of a Public Benefactor {Life of Dr. Morton), by Nathan P. Rice. 

A Consideration of the Introduction of Surgical Anaesthesia, by W. H. Welch. 

Voyage of the Jamestown, by R. B. Forbes. 

The Monument to Robert Gould Shaw, Dedication Exercises, etc. 

Charles Dickens as I knew him, by Dolby. 

Birth and Babyhood of the Telephone, by Thomas A. Watson. 

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